Halloween, now a secular holiday, gets its roots from the pagan festival of Samhain which is one of the four major sacred days throughout the Celtic territories of England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and Brittany. Falling on October 31st it began at sunset (the traditional start of a Celtic new day). Exactly opposite Beltane or May Day, on the wheel of the year, Samhain is Beltane's dark twin. It is considered a night of power, when the veil that separates our world from the Otherworld is at its thinnest. A “spirit night” as they say in Wales.
Samhain celebrates the necessary cycle of death and rebirth. In the northern hemisphere, the leaves are dying and nature is preparing for the still of winter. Just the same, in the southern hemisphere, the dormant buds are preparing to rebirth themselves and open to the start of spring. So it should come as no surprise that we celebrate this holiday while the Sun is in Scorpio. A fixed (stable) water (emotional) sign ruled by Pluto (transformation), Scorpio energy is all about transformation and honoring the cycles of death and rebirth, but it also rules over the unseen and our connection to other dimensions and portals. Let’s look at how the planets will play at this time.
On October 23, the Sun will move into Scorpio, officially launching Scorpio Season which lasts until November 21. This marks a time of increased intensity in our personal relationships when we start to seek deeper and more intimate connections with others. Mercury is now retrograde in Scorpio until October 27, when it then moves back into Libra. On October 25, the Sun and Mercury Rx will match up, increasing our intuition and illuminating something that we are meant to see. These two celestial bodies create a forensic force capable of revealing previously hidden areas in our important partnerships. This time of deep review is preparing us to make needed and necessary adjustments.
On October 31 the Taurus Full Moon is a rare Blue Moon and also a Super Moon. The Sun will shine a light on the dark, elusive areas of Scorpio, while the Moon directly across the chart, illuminates the need to embody some real changes in our interpersonal relationship dynamics, based on what is being shown. Both luminaries serve to clarify any existing alliances that we have outgrown, as well as the need to confirm a deeper commitment to others. Additionally, this Moon is extremely close to Uranus, the planet of change and revolution, so unexpected change and uncertainty may cause anxiety, impatience, and an inability to relax.
We've been in the thick of Mars retrograde since September 9 and this transit, which only happens once every two years, has major implications timing-wise, given that it’s involved in so many intense planetary connections. Mars Rx can make us feel sluggish, unmotivated, and unable take tangible actions on things which is not the most inspiring vibe leading into an election. The post-retrograde period will also have implications after the election, given that it will still be in its retrograde shadow until November 20. This transit can bring repressed rage bubbling up to the surface in general, and we'll struggle to find healthy ways to release it. Regardless of the outcome of the election, the stars point to there being a public pushback.
We’ve been experiencing the effects of Saturn in Capricorn for a while now, but there’s something even more special about this particular transit during Halloween. It will be another 12 years before we see Saturn in Capricorn on a Halloween night, which means that it’s imperative that we take advantage of this most auspicious transit on this most potent day. With Saturn in Capricorn, the fruits of your labor are truly meant to come into fruition. We see the real work of cause and effect, of risk and reward, all come alive and Saturn in Capricorn is all about the big picture. In other words, if you’ve already been putting in the work and effort, you may simply sit back and watch as “good luck” (or really, good karma) comes to fruition this Halloween season.
This collection of planetary energies and transits can be summarized in one word: intense. The main takeaway should be to expect the unexpected and prepare for some emotional and energetic landscapes. This year has been a year of surprises, shocks, turns, and twists galore. And with two retrogrades in full swing, a Full Moon in action, and an auspicious transit that we won’t see again for over a decade, there is undoubtedly room for surprise.
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