By Amanda Painter

Today there’s a New Moon in Libra that’s just loaded with energy. Chances are you’ve already been feeling it this week. Despite the fact that a Moon waning to its new phase tends to be lower-energy, this one is plugged into a high-voltage outlet.

Photo by Amanda Painter.

That outlet’s name is “Uranus”: the planet of revolution, surprise and invention. Uranus is in late Aries. And at 3:12 pm EDT today (19:12 UTC), the Sun and Moon will make a conjunction to each other (the New Moon) exactly opposite Uranus.

Depending on where Libra is located in your personal chart, you might have already felt some unexpected disruptions in recent days as the Sun has been moving into position. And you may not have felt like you’ve had the energy to deal well with everything that’s coming your way — thanks in part to the Moon winding down its current cycle.

If that’s been the case, consider cutting yourself some slack. Give yourself a hug (real or metaphorical), take a few breaths, and remember that being a conscious, caring human being in our current world takes a lot of energy, awareness and flexibility. Sometimes, due to a confluence of circumstances, our emotional resources run thin; and that makes it incredibly difficult to roll with unexpected disruptions, curveballs and the needs of loved ones.

Add current political and social issues to whatever you’re dealing with personally, and the pressure can have very real effects. It’s easy to discount the psychic toll exacted by things like news of natural disasters close to home and bombings in far-off lands; or the revelation of sexual harassment institutionalized in the hands of a movie mogul, and then seeing the majority of your female friends raise their voices in a chorus of, “Me too.”

Speaking of that last issue, there’s an interesting aspect happening concurrent with the New Moon that seems to relate: Mercury in Scorpio trine the centaur planet Nessus in Pisces. It suggests to me that there’s some help right now in getting below the surface of our world’s persistent perpetuation of sexual boundary transgression.

There may even be a degree of transformation possible — though I expect this might happen more clearly at the individual level, as this problem is too ingrained and widespread to expect dramatic cultural transformation at a particular moment. But even in the social recognition of the problem, there might be some creative energy available for better understanding the nature of our collective sexual trauma, power and healing potential.

All of this and more weigh on the minds and souls of anyone with a shred of humanity and compassion. We often don’t notice it because it filters into the background, and personal issues with family, partners and coworkers take center stage. But it’s all in there; and the more aware you can stay of when it’s building and needs an outlet, or requires some different form of processing and expression, the more proactive you can be about taking care of yourself. That, in turn, lets you take care of others in healthy ways.

Being human, it’s easy to feel like one is “getting it wrong” if you’re not able to roll with things, or if you react out of hand to what catches you off guard. Even when you know the astrology that’s building ahead of time, the effects can take you by surprise — especially with Uranus involved.

So, do your best to go easy on others; and go easy on yourself if you feel like you’re not handling something as well as you “should.”

As Eric Francis mentioned recently, “If you can harness it, this New Moon is about making positive though perhaps unplanned-for changes.”

He was looking at how the Sun and Moon in Libra and Uranus in Aries are all making harmonious aspects with centaur planet Pholus and the Galactic Center in Sagittarius. That pattern suggests the potential for small, unexpectedly kind gestures in your relationships to ripple out in ways that benefit everyone in the long run.

The tricky thing might be in staying balanced within yourself enough to be able to use the energy that way. Having the Moon — and for a longer time, the Sun — opposite Uranus can be a real challenge in relationships (both intimate and professional).

Putting those players in the signs of “self” (Aries) and “relationships” (Libra) intensifies the dynamics at play: things like restlessness and impatience leading to arguments; too much self-will in one person rousing the self-will of another; a partner doing something radically different that forces you to deal with a new aspect of your relationship. In business or professional/creative relationships, something unexpected can lead to radical revisions, according to astrologer Robert Hand. Even a total stranger could instigate the need for you to do things very differently in something as basic as your morning pre-work routine.

Throughout it all, however, knowing what you want and expressing it positively, consciously and clearly can help tremendously. The trick with this astrology may be figuring out desires and needs proactively, rather than reactively or retroactively. Oh — and listening. Listening fully and with empathy always helps.

Remember that most people are usually doing they best they can at any given time. Sometimes, that does not feel like it’s as “good” as one would like it to be. If you find yourself relating to that idea, allow yourself to try a fresh start with today’s New Moon. That’s pretty much what they’re for — and you always have the chance to choose differently, no matter what you’ve done before.