the new moon in libra & pluto's reparations

I’ve been trying to understand the last Mars retrograde since the transit ended in early 2025. Of course there is always the basic astrological understanding: a reassessment of motivation, anger, and energy. But what does that mean? What makes one Mars retrograde different from any other? The nuance is typically found in the aspects a planet makes throughout its retrograde journey. 

There was a lot that happened at that time for me personally and I know I’m not the only one. I know someone who refers to the Mars direct station in Spring of 2025 as the time “when the world ended” and while that sounds dramatic, I also think it’s very astute for the months that marked the transition between Saturn in Pisces and Aries, signs representing both the ending and the beginning. 

Right now we are having similar transits that I feel are clarifying what happened then but with some knowledge of the new world that has come after the old one ended. 

On October 3, Venus stationed retrograde and Mars opposed Pluto. The defining aspect of the current Venus retrograde is Venus square Pluto as it is the only aspect that repeats before, during, and after the retrograde. In the same fashion, 2024-2025’s Mars retrograde also aspected Pluto before, during, and after the retrograde.

No one wants to talk about it, or maybe it’s just that I don’t usually want to talk about it. As a transit writer, you never want to fear-monger or sound as though you’re predicting something extreme, but Pluto is commonly known as a rapist. Sometimes this is literal. I think it’s interesting that during the first Venus-Pluto square in September 2026, the Cornell 7 lawsuit was filed. Though it’s important that we do not contain Pluto’s meaning to only literal, physical rape. 

The definition of Pluto’s metaphorical rape might include: Being forced to do something that you do not want to do. Feeling ashamed, controlled, violated, and exposed. Being subject to public humiliation, blame, and judgment. Or losing your personal autonomy to something you cannot control. These are all experiences that can occur outside of Pluto's literal rape and inside of its symbolic one. This is why the planets are best understood as archetypes. 

A Pluto transit could represent a moment where you feel forced to do something against your will– that could be anything. Feeling forced to take a job because your survival is at stake. Entering into a partnership with many strings attached… probably because your survival is at stake. You’ll find that survival is a common Plutonian theme since it’s also a planet that symbolizes death. 

A Pluto transit could also be an injury or illness that strips away your personal choice. Being forced into responsibility for something in a way that asks you to sacrifice your own sacred space and resources. I’m also thinking of the California fires that took so many homes in January of 2025 during the Mars rx-Pluto aspect. Fire taking away a family's security and shelter in the way that a rapist takes away the security and shelter of the differentiated body. There are so many ways that this Plutonian archetype could apply. 

THE NEW MOON IN LIBRA

I bring all of this up for a few reasons. I do think that Venus retrogrades, whether they’re aspecting Pluto or not, have an innately Plutonian quality to them. The symbolic story is about Venus’s (Persephone or Inanna’s) descent to the underworld, whether by force or from her own free will depending on the version. 

And to be clear, there are kinder versions of this story that exist: The symbolic “rape” can be instead, a willing awakening (sexually or otherwise), a novice being initiated. Instead of choice being stripped away, it’s simply her ignorance or purity that’s shed– something that was never going to last with age anyway. Imagine Venus retrograde only aspects Mercury or Jupiter, then it could be framed as a natural coming-of-age story where minds and worlds are expanded as one descends into desire.  

Though, if the underworld is Pluto’s domain, we can understand why he need not be present by aspect for the Venusian descent to manifest all the same thematically. Likewise, when Pluto is present, agency is much more precarious. Pluto comes to collect something.

The other reason why these heavier interpretations are relevant is because of the upcoming New Moon in Libra on October 10. While the Mars-Pluto opposition exacted back on October 3 and Venus will not make her second square to Pluto until October 19, this New Moon marks the Venus rx - Mars square which seems to bridge the separating Mars-Pluto and the applying Venus-Pluto in a halfway point. The connection between the three creates a loose t-square. 

And, again, since the last Mars-Pluto oppositions we saw were throughout the Mars retrograde cycle in late 2024 - early 2025, it’s interesting that we’ve received the next one now that Venus is retrograde. She calls us back to that time as if there is something we forgot back there, something needed for the next version of ourselves. 

Though, I want to be clear, this is not a prediction that something terrible will happen, it's more of a reflection on Pluto. It’s really hard to rationalize something that was taken from us, something that evokes feelings of violation or shame or complete loss of control. It’s hard to spin a meaningful lesson out of that. It seems senseless and often, it is senseless. What’s always been so interesting to me about Pluto though, is that for whatever it takes away, it gives back too. 

This is kind of a funny example, but in the animated film Encanto, the concept of “Plutonian riches” is articulated very well. A woman goes through an unspeakable loss, her home and her husband are both taken from her but they are restored in the form of a candle. This candle is enchanted, a miracle that brings her a new home and bestows gifts upon her descendants that they use to bring power to their community. Power is a feature of Pluto. 

There’s obviously a lot more to that film, and I’m also not sure that these things are equal: the home and husband she lost versus the new home and magical gifts that stretch throughout her lineage, but I’m not sure they’re meant to be equal as much as they are simply her reparations. That is another way the “return” of Venus can manifest: compensation for past transgressions. Encanto was released during a Venus retrograde preshadow by the way. 

So, in all honesty, I’m not sure what that means for the current retrograde and the New Moon. It could be that we are needing to see a past loss in a different way or it could be that this is a time where past transgressions are being revisited and compensated for. Though maybe the point of Pluto isn’t to give back what was taken, we’ve already determined that what is lost is often irreplaceable. We cannot resurrect the dead. Instead, it’s about power.

Pluto’s restoration is not a reversal of history as much as it’s an expansion of what’s possible now because of what happened in the past. Pluto’s “rape” is something that we explicitly do not choose, but Mars considers our autonomy and motivation while Venus retrograde asks us to consider what we do personally value, desire, and want to return to. The New Moon seems to facilitate a meeting between the three, asking and organizing: What kind of new power is available after loss? What are we able to act on now? What desires are possible now? 

This New Moon in Libra is arriving after a considerable season (since August) of oppositions from Saturn in Aries. It’s forced us to clarify what is equal, balanced, and reciprocal. We can no longer participate in things that aren’t mutual. We require willing participants. That’s an interesting manifestation of Pluto's aspects too, maybe this retrograde is more about prioritizing choice and consent because a relationship cannot create reciprocity where there is no willingness. You can feel the difference between an enthusiastic partner and one who stays out of obligation. 

Ultimately, this New Moon is not a return to what was, but a new understanding of what we are willing to participate in, perhaps even illuminating what choices we have available to us now. The loss may still be real, and whatever happened may not become any more explainable simply because we have had time to process it. But our relationship to it can change. We can have more information, more power, and more clarity about what we are willing to give up and what we are not.

There is something very different about choosing something when you know you can leave than choosing it because you feel you have no other option. The question isn't simply what was lost, or even whether it can be restored. It's what we do once we understand that we have choices that weren't available to us before. What we choose to pursue, what we choose to leave behind, and what we are no longer willing to accept in exchange for getting something we want.

Happy New Moon.

Your friendly neighborhood astrologer, 

Katie 

HOROSCOPES FOR THE RISING SIGNS

artwork by @b4abraham

aries rising: 

The New Moon in your 7H puts relationships, agreements, and other people directly in the spotlight, but its ruler Venus is retrograde in your 8H, where questions of obligation, shared resources, and what you have given over to someone else become harder to avoid. Mars in your 5H opposes Pluto in your 11H, creating a tension between your personal will and the demands or expectations of a larger group. Something about this configuration can feel like having your choices narrowed by circumstances you did not create. The question now is whether you continue participating simply because something has already been established, or whether there is actually mutual willingness to continue. A relationship cannot be reciprocal if one person is only there because they feel they have no other choice.

taurus rising: 

The Libra New Moon activates your 6H of work, obligations, routines, and the things you are expected to do every day. Venus retrograde in your 7H makes the source of those obligations more obvious: agreements with other people, partnerships, clients, coworkers, or people who depend on you. Meanwhile, Mars in your 4H opposes Pluto in your 10H, putting private life and public responsibility into conflict. There may be a feeling that circumstances have dictated what you have to do, particularly around career or family responsibilities. The New Moon asks you to look at what is actually an agreement and what has simply become an expectation. You may not be able to undo what was imposed on you, but you can become much more specific about what you are willing to agree to going forward.

gemini rising: 

The Libra New Moon falls in your 5H, the house of creativity, pleasure, and self-expression. Venus retrograde in your 6H complicates that freedom with obligations, work, and the practical demands of everyday life. Mars in your 3H opposes Pluto in your 9H, suggesting that beliefs, information, other people's opinions, or larger systems may have had more influence over your choices than you realized. Something you wanted may have been taken off the table because it wasn't considered practical, acceptable, or possible. Now you may be reconsidering whether that was actually your decision. There is a difference between losing interest in something and learning to stop wanting it because you were convinced you couldn't have it. This New Moon gives you room to revisit that distinction.

cancer rising: 

The Libra New Moon falls in your 4H, making home, family, security, and your private life the place where questions of choice become especially apparent. Venus retrograde in your 5H brings your own desires into the picture, while Mars in your 2H opposes Pluto in your 8H, emphasizing resources, dependence, and the things that can become entangled between people. You may be looking at a situation where someone else's needs, financial circumstances, or expectations have determined what was possible for you. Some sacrifices may have been necessary; that doesn't mean they were freely chosen. The New Moon asks what kind of security you actually want now, rather than simply recreating the arrangement that once kept you safe. You may be less willing to call something mutual simply because you were the one willing to sacrifice.

leo rising: 

The Libra New Moon activates your 3H of communication, decisions, agreements, and your immediate environment, while Venus retrograde in your 4H brings family history and private circumstances into the conversation. Mars in your 1H opposes Pluto in your 7H, making the question of autonomy within relationships especially pronounced. There may have been situations where another person's needs, behavior, or decisions effectively determined what you were allowed to do. This doesn't necessarily mean anyone consciously intended to control you; sometimes circumstances create that dynamic on their own. But you can still feel the difference between choosing compromise and having your choices progressively narrowed until compromise is the only option left. This New Moon asks you to become much more conscious of which relationships actually leave room for you to choose.

virgo rising: 

The Libra New Moon lands in your 2H of money, possessions, values, and personal resources, while Venus retrograde moves through your 3H of communication and decision-making. Mars in your 12H opposes Pluto in your 6H, bringing hidden pressures around work, obligations, exhaustion, and daily responsibilities into focus. You may be realizing that some of what you considered “your life” was actually built around demands that you didn't choose. A job, routine, responsibility, or role can become so normalized that it is difficult to remember there was ever another option. This New Moon asks you to look at what belongs to you and what you have simply been carrying. Your resources are not only money; your time and attention are resources too. You may be reclaiming the right to decide where they go.

libra rising: 

The New Moon is in your 1H, but Venus retrograde in your 2H makes this less about reinventing yourself and more about reconsidering what you value enough to preserve. Mars in your 11H opposes Pluto in your 5H, creating tension between your individual desires and the expectations of friends, communities, audiences, or groups. Pluto in your 5H can describe experiences where something deeply personal—your creativity, your joy, your ability to express yourself—has felt subject to forces outside of your control. Meanwhile, the Libra New Moon puts choice back into the 1H: what do you actually want to participate in now? You may be recognizing that belonging somewhere isn't worth surrendering the parts of yourself that made you want to belong in the first place. The question isn't whether you can get back what was taken from you; it is whether you are willing to give the same thing away again.

scorpio rising: 

The Libra New Moon occurs in your 12H, where things that have been hidden, suppressed, or difficult to articulate can become more apparent. Venus retrograde in your 1H makes this deeply personal, while Mars in your 10H opposes Pluto in your 4H, bringing public responsibility into conflict with home, family, and your private sense of safety. You may be confronting how much of your identity was shaped by circumstances you did not choose. There can be a strange realization that a version of yourself was built around adapting to something that was imposed rather than something you wanted. This New Moon doesn't require you to immediately define the new version. It may simply make it harder to confuse survival with preference. Some things were necessary then that do not need to remain necessary now.

sagittarius rising: 

The Libra New Moon activates your 11H of communities, friendships, networks, and future plans, while Venus retrograde in your 12H brings unresolved history into the picture. Mars in your 9H opposes Pluto in your 3H, creating tension between larger beliefs and the information, narratives, or conversations that have shaped them. You may be revisiting a community or future you once thought was taken away from you, or realizing that what felt like a loss was actually the result of circumstances you never had much control over. This can also expose where other people's beliefs have limited your sense of what was possible. The New Moon asks you to consider who you actually want beside you as you move forward. You don't need to force yourself back into an old community simply because you once wanted to belong there.

capricorn rising: 

The Libra New Moon falls in your 10H of career, reputation, and public direction, while Venus retrograde in your 11H brings networks, alliances, and long-term goals into the equation. Mars in your 8H opposes Pluto in your 2H, emphasizing the conflict between what is yours and what is shared, what you control and what can be controlled by other people. You may be looking at a professional situation where the terms were never as equal as they appeared. Money, resources, access, or another person's leverage can make a choice look voluntary when there are really very few viable alternatives. This New Moon asks you to reconsider the terms of participation. What would you choose if you weren't choosing from a position of having to accept whatever was available? And what kind of success is actually worth the cost?

aquarius rising: 

The Libra New Moon activates your 9H of beliefs, education, travel, publishing, and your understanding of the larger world. Venus retrograde in your 10H brings career and public identity into the picture, while Mars in your 7H opposes Pluto in your 1H. Here, the conflict between personal autonomy and other people's demands can be especially direct. You may have experienced circumstances where being yourself came with consequences, particularly within relationships or other close agreements. Pluto in your 1H can describe the feeling of having an identity imposed on you through circumstances that were bigger than your individual preferences. The New Moon asks you to reconsider what you actually believe now that you have more information. You don't have to accept someone else's definition of you simply because they had the power to impose it at one point.

pisces rising: 

The Libra New Moon falls in your 8H, where questions of shared resources, debt, obligation, trust, and what you exchange with other people become central. Venus retrograde in your 9H asks you to reconsider the meaning you've assigned to past experiences, while Mars in your 6H opposes Pluto in your 12H. This can bring attention to the invisible obligations that have shaped your daily life—things you may have felt you simply had to do without ever consciously choosing them. Pluto in the 12H can describe circumstances that operate outside your control, while the 8H New Moon asks you to examine what you are actually agreeing to share. You may not be able to change why you had to carry something in the past. But you can question whether it still belongs in your life now. There is a difference between accepting that something happened and continuing to participate in the conditions that allowed it to happen.