Weekly Metaphysical Forecast 10.17.23
The Crucible of Judgement
WHAT?
reck·on·ing/ˈrek(ə)niNG/noun 1. the action or process of calculating or estimating something 2. a person's view, opinion, or judgment 3. a bill or account, or its settlement 4. the avenging or punishing of past mistakes or misdeeds
The word 'reckoning' probably gets tossed around too casually these days, particularly in deference to pop culture noise and the inane, 24 hour news cycle. If the information highways are to be believed, everything from political catfights to the dating life of Taylor Swift is indicative of some sort of reckoning. Media blabbermouths love to force importance into outlier events and claim they are the catalyst to important transformation. The conviction of Harvey Weinstein was supposed to bring about a reckoning for the patriarchy, BLM was supposed to force a reckoning for policing in the United States, and whenever the political right or left of any country is embroiled in some sort of scandal, a grand reckoning is usually promised, but never realized. I suspect this is because true reckoning is something that must begin in the heart of the individual before it can penetrate the mind of the collective, and that is a far more evasive, subliminal process than salacious headlines trumpeting instant gratification would have us believe.
As we simmer in the last days of Libra season, there will be plenty of collective conversation about justice - what it looks like, who deserves it, and the means by which it can be achieved. The global conversation cannot make progress, though, without a quieter, internal conversation with ourselves. Why do we believe what we believe? What is it that convinces us our actions are just, and other people's actions are not? What happens when we suspect previously stalwart institutions and authority figures have actually been thwarting true fairness and justice since their inception?
WHY?
A one/two punch in the face by a couple pretty massive aspects will force some kind of resolution regarding collective justice and our own moral authenticity. Before you ask, yes, I am also tired of talking about this. I hate this axis! But astrology doesn't seem to care about my feelings.
First up, a Mercury cazimi in Libra shines a floodlight on our technology and communication. We can expect a lot of deep conversations, both publicly and privately, about the Libran focuses of fairness, diplomacy, art, and culture. Immediately following the cazimi, our sun switches focus to a powerful square with Pluto in Capricorn, and the shit may hit the fan when it comes to who we thought we were vs. who we actually are.
The modern Libran association with scales, balance, and justice is widely accepted to be an echo of several ancient mythological belief systems and their concepts of judgement and accountability. Ancient Egyptian god Anubis has many parallel responsibilities to the Hades of ancient Greece and Pluto of ancient Rome, one of which is presiding over judgement of the dead. This tall, dark, jackal-headed hottie was in charge of weighing the hearts of the deceased on a scale against goddess Maat's soul feather, and this would determine the next step for the dead person. The deceased, having been stripped of all clothing and affectations, had to let Anubis reach into their chest and pull out their heart, only to toss it onto an enormous set of scales with a meaty plop. If the feather was heavier, then congratulations were in order and that person could go on to live another life in the paradisiacal Field of Reeds. If the misdeeds of the deceased outweighed the feather, their heart would be devoured by Ammit - an alligator-faced, lion-bodied, hippopotamus-backed goddess with an insatiable appetite for assholes who "fucked around" in the world of the living only to "find out" in the underworld. Once Ammit devours a heart, the soul is obliterated, and there are no do-overs.
The square we will endure on Saturday has a similar feeling of culmination, probably because we have been struggling with these issues throughout our entire solar transit in Libra. In fact, many of us began this wrestling match with balance and fairness since July, when the lunar nodes ingressed into the Aries/Libra axis. Imagine Ra, the powerful sun god and ancient Egyptian father-figure, shining his light on Anubis and Ammit as they handle human souls like choice cuts at the butcher shop. Jokes aside, the power of this upcoming square lies in its illumination of a process that normally takes place in the dark; the collective dark, as well as the dark night of individual hearts. Anubis/Hades/Pluto forces us to see sides of ourselves, our fathers, our institutions, and our authority figures that we've never had to look at before in all of their messy, problematic, and yes, sometimes evil reality. The process is torturous, but morally inevitable, and it forces us to ask key philosophical questions of ourselves. If we are stripped naked and relieved of our preconceived notions, what is left of us and how should we proceed?
WHEN?
The intense political and cultural chatter will come fast and furious on October 19th at 10:38pm PDT, so expect to see a massive influx of Venus-dominant information and discussion. Then, on October 20th, Mercury squares off with Pluto at 5:50pm PDT, increasing the intensity of these deep conversations. Finally, the real party starts on October 21st at 7:09am PDT when the sun (Ra/Apollo) squares off with Pluto (Anubis/Hades) and we get to the heart of the matter in a way that could result in character judgement and purification. At the very least, the process will begin - though we may have to wait for eclipse season of 2024 to see concrete progress and a true, justifiable reckoning.
TAROT
Something comes to light early in the week, perhaps because certain agents are feeling confessional thanks to the 7 of Swords reversed, and it's enough to bury some of us deep in our feelings on Wednesday, courtesy of the King of Vessels reversed. Imagine a depressed Pisces enveloping the world in a fugue state - that is the vibe of Wednesday.
A cautious approach is the best approach for Thursday as we head towards our Plutonian square-o-rama, because whenever The Devil shows up, people like to get crazy. Beware of overindulgence, lies, and manipulation, and write down that safe word. The Ace of Pentacles reversed shows up on Friday in the form of Hell's penny-pinching bureaucrat Lucifuge Rofocale, indicating that money or health matters could be the victim of poor planning and lost opportunities. Instead of sulking, marinate on whatever bummer occurs and try to see how to prevent it in the future.
Engaging with vice as a means to offset weltschmerz continues with the 7 of Cups on Saturday, because we all need a fantasy world to escape to now and then. On Sunday, practical matters take over and we might struggle between professional commitments and familial commitments. The Queen of Coins reversed often places too much weight on other people's financial success, which in turn can make her myopic and shallow. Don't forget that without people to love, money means fuck-all. Try not to forget it on Monday, either, when the 9 of Coins finally brings sunnier financial prospects. Our fortunes wax and wain, but our loved ones need us to show up consistently, regardless of the state of our wallets.
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