LIBRA NEW MOON MEDITATIONS

This New Moon the Sun and Moon are joined in the air sign of Libra. Ruled by Venus/Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, Libra is the natural ruler of the 7th house of partnership. Thus this lunar cycle is a time to initiate one's soul into the mysteries of Libra: the spirit of beauty, and humanity's unending quest to learn how to better love another in the intimate sphere of day-to-day relationship. Though it may seem at first glance as if the two qualities of beauty and relationship are unrelated, anyone who has watched a true Libra in action has observed the natural skill with which the "diplomat of the zodiac" is able to skillfully balance their individual needs with those of "the other." It is this rare ability to create harmony out the jangled notes of a fractious world that is a source of true and lasting beauty - and a sure sign of "Libra magic" at work. 

Aphrodite, the Spirit of Beauty

In a mythic twist of fate, the goddess of beauty was born of both tragedy and poetry - emerging, the story goes, from the seafoam of Uranus' severed genitals. Swept ashore at dawn's rosy light on the island of Cyprus, Aphrodite, as she was called, was greeted by the three dancing Graces - Brilliance, Flower-Bringer, and Heart's Joy - who adorned her in jewels, placed her in a golden chariot drawn by white doves and took her to Mt. Olympus. So dazzling was her beauty, that Zeus immediately married her to the crippled craftsman Hephaestus in order to prevent jealous competition for her hand among the gods. It was Hephaestus, the goldsmith, who wove the fabled golden "girdle of Aphrodite," the source of her bewitching magic to stir love and desire in all who beheld her. Among Aphrodite's symbols are the white dove and the pearl, both images of her pure spirit and the precious, hidden treasure of feminine beauty.

Where can Aphrodite be found today? However crude or commercial, the love-goddess's skill at artifice is on full display in Hollywood: at award ceremonies, audiences around the world thrill to the ritual procession of enchantingly bejewelled movie stars as they promenade down the red carpet. Hollywood hypnotizes because it provides that frisson of frivolous charm so utterly lacking in our utilitarian culture. But beauty, of course, is far more than physical perfection or ornate decoration. It is a spiritual organ of perception - not just how we look, but what we perceive in others and the world around us. It is the dimple in a child's winning smile; a spring garden scented with lilacs; the honey from a bee; a painting, poem, or piece of music whose exquisite perfection stirs the heart. Awakening to the beauty around us, we become beauty ourselves. As the myths instruct, we ignore Aphrodite at our peril, for without beauty our souls become hard and dry, closed to the radiant miracle of creation. 

Meditation:
One way to attune to the spirit of beauty is to reimagine the birth of Aphrodite within your heart. Begin your meditation by creating an atmosphere of beauty that will attract her presence. You may, for instance, begin your new moon meditation by adorning your altar with some flowers, as well as photos of loved ones; you may also want to play a piece of music that, to your ears, is serenely peaceful. Allow the music to pierce the shell of your heart, then let that rhythmic feeling fill the center within you, as the waves within the ocean. Next, imagine that this ocean of feeling has given rise to an emotion of sublime beauty: this is Aphrodite, emerging from the depths of your heart. She is the essence of beauty, the perfume of loveliness, the embodiment of grace and joy. She is all lithesome light and laughter. Bathe in her being, as she herself ritually bathes in the ocean once each year to restore her sense of wholeness. Feel wholly beautiful, inside and out. 

After immersing yourself in the being of Aphrodite, open your eyes and survey the environment around you. Practice seeing the world through her eyes, rather than your own narrow vision. As you do, life appears transfigured, lit from within: the flowers on your altar radiate color; the photos of your loved ones reveal an inner dimension of soulful depth that you had never experienced before; the window opening to the sky outside is a vision of glory. THIS is the precious pearl that is the gift of Aphrodite - the vision of beauty animating all creation. 

As your meditation comes to a close, make an offering of thanks appropriate to the goddess of beauty - a dance, a smile, or a graceful gesture. To continually renew the spirit of beauty in your life throughout the month, choose an article of loveliness - a scarf, a scent, a flower, or a treasured object  - to use as a talisman to re-invoke the goddess in your heart. Or, you may want to initiate a daily "beauty ritual" in honor of Aphrodite, such as taking a scented bubble bath, tending an exquisite flower, or complimenting a new person each day on something nice you have noticed about about them. 
 

 Balancing the Scales of "I and Thou"

While Eros, or love, was among the children born to Aphrodite and her lover, Ares, so, too, was Harmonia, or harmony. Indeed, among the symbols that represent the sign of Libra, the most significant is the set of scales. Rich with layers of meaning, one of the functions of the scales of Libra is to measure our skill at balancing our individual needs with those of another. In other words, the scales of Libra symbolize how well we are able to live harmonious lives of relationship. As the Sufi mystic Hazrat Inayat Khan taught, rhythm, balance, and harmony are the foundation not only for music - but the secret of health and happiness, as well.

Think of it: how many hundreds of times during the day must we engage in that Libran art of negotiating what "I" want versus what "you" need? How much of the disharmony in our lives arises out of arguments between the differing viewpoints that divide friends, co-workers and loved ones? Living as we do in an individualistic, achievement-oriented culture, this is not an ability that is taught but is hard-won in the school of everyday life. Here Venus/Aphrodite can be a guide: her pleasing ways harmonized her with others; likewise, she knew how to attract what she needed for herself.

Meditation:
To invoke the spirit of harmony in your relationships, bring to mind a person with whom you are engaged in some kind of conflict. Clearly outline the differences between the two of you; what "she" did, or "he" said and how you feel otherwise. Then imagine that that person is seated across from you. Next, open your heart to that person; if you do not love them, at least cultivate a sense of respect for their individual autonomy that is separate from you. To deepen the feeling that the person across from you is not just your opponent, but a child of the divine, address them as "thou." Cultivating such an attitude of respect opens the door of empathy; putting yourself in their place, you begin to see how things appear from their perspective. Slowly, like the dawn of a star, you begin to glimpse the situation that has divided the two of you from their way of seeing. After you have thoroughly immersed yourself in the viewpoint of the person opposite you, return to your "side" of the argument, then review your disagreement in light of the understanding and insight you have just gained. Similarly, imagine that the person opposite you, in body and in point of view, has undergone a similar process and is now able to see things from your perspective.

Now imagine that throughout this process, some alchemical magic greater than the two of you has been working to sort through your differences. In this heart-opening process you have conceded something; so, too, has your partner. This interchange, and mixing and matching of views, has resulted in an open flow of energy between you. Now, instead of the impassable chasm that has separated you, a current of warm feeling streams between your hearts. The two of you have somehow managed to retain your individual perspectives; yet at the same time your relationship has been magically balanced so that you have achieved a momentary equilibrium - a heaven of harmony. 

Conclude your practice by contemplating once again the symbolism of the scales of Libra, and the harmony and beauty of Venus. Then bow to "the other" in your life, and give thanks that this situation has come into your life as a wise teacher who has taught you how to live in right relationship with others.