October is a “once in a blue moon” month and will be bookended by two full moons. The first, in fiery Aries happens today. Getting what you want seems impossible at this time since Aries' ruler, Mars, is also retrograde in the same sign. Anger over having to compromise more than you want or give more than you should is likely. You might decide it's just not worth the price. This Moon also brings to a head issues connected to our courage, independence, and ability to thrive. Set against the Sun in Libra, we need to explore our personal responses towards our relationships.
Venus moves into earthy Virgo on October 2. During her stretch of time in the most productive and efficient sign, romance becomes much more practical. Acts of service is the love language for all, so don't be surprised if you find yourself doing more for others and expecting less. This will be a stabilizing time for work and career matters, too, since Venus will make gorgeous links to Jupiter, Saturn, and Pluto all in fellow Earth sign Capricorn.
Pluto stations direct on October 4. Things have been intense since the end of April and Pluto has forced us to take a long hard look at the reality of our situation and pushed us to acknowledge truths that we’d rather ignore. Now that the inner work is complete, the Lord of the Underworld continues deconstructing structures that are longer useful for us. Pluto is turning direct on the degree of the Saturn/Pluto conjunction that happened back in January of this year. As Pluto finds his feet to move forwards again, an aspect begins to develop with Mars retrograde in Aries and the Sun in Libra. This pattern will be in effect from October 7 through the majority of the October. Mars will square Pluto exactly on October 9, creating a perfect storm as our inner warrior faces off with toxic manipulators, a criminal administration and our own fears. This pattern suggests that some major regeneration (Pluto) must happen to re-establish harmony.
Mercury stations retrograde on October 14, spending the first two weeks in Mars ruled Scorpio and the final week back in Libra. Given that we already have Mars retrograde currently too, expect a sense of slowing down to a standstill. With Mercury retrograde in Scorpio, we are called to explore our shadows, unconscious motivations and confront issues around truth and trust in relationships. This is an opportunity to clear our minds and discover how much power we have when we use our voice. Mercury stations direct on November 3, which also happens to be Election Day in the USA. This can increase the likelihood of confusion and delays surrounding the election. (I’ll have more on this in November.)
A New Moon in partnership-oriented Libra on October 16 is quite beautiful especially for business alliances. Anew agreement, relationship or partnership comes under direct challenge and we are forced to hold back, step back and see the bigger picture. This New Moon calls for us to focus on balance. We may have to get creative and think of new ways to approach our lives and the changes that have greeted us. There is no going back to the way things were, so we have to start innovating and thinking about how to move forward.
Scorpio season begins on October 22 as the Sun moves into this secretive sign. During this period we are interested in illuminating what is under the surface. This is a time to explore taboos and mysteries and examine our fears. We feel more intensely during this period. We feel everything in stark contrast so it’s important to guard against extremes. In our relationships, we seek out intimacy but on the flip side, trust issues can become prominent during this transit. Truth is the key.
Venus enters home sign Libra on October 28. This movement should help to smooth any Mercury retrograde troubles and gives us a strong desire to work together to overcome any issues. Generally, Venus in Libra generates an artistic viewpoint. We crave harmony, aesthetic appeal, things that are nice, pretty and polite. The shadow side of this transit is dependency and a tendency to gloss over issues that seem “unpleasant”.
We end the month as we began, with a Full Moon, this time in Taurus on Halloween (October 31) creating a perfect backdrop for any celebrations. This Blue Moon will heighten the spiritual energies already present at this time of year. We will feel more connected to higher realms, and more in touch with our intuition and psychic abilities. There is also some turbulent energy around this Full Moon. This Full Moon in Taurus is also conjunct to “change maker” Uranus. Be prepared for shocks and surprises that unearth new resources and jolt you out of the same old patterns.
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