We might not be operating at our optimum as we begin October. People could be irritable, setting the bar high for their relationships and giving little quarter for the foibles of humanity.
Mercury squares Pluto on the 2nd. If feeling blocked or impeded in developing future goals, people can be angry with discussions turning heated to the point of people drawing lines in the sand.
Let’s keep in mind that Venus is transiting one of the Signs of its Detriment, Scorpio, and interactions with people can be intense.
The less reactive we are and the more patient we can be, the less likely we are to harm our relationships and take on a scorched earth approach to our interactions with other people.
Our emotions can be strong, and we may seek a spiritual refuge in which to catch our breath and nourish our soul. We might feel that people, and especially those closest to us, just do not understand us or take the time to plumb the depths of our being. The fault might not lie with other people as much as our own propensity to concealing facets of ourselves from other people.
And concealment is what we might do as Venus turns retrograde in Scorpio on the 5th. Added to the retrograde motion, Venus is going back through a Sign of its Detriment where Venus is not at all comfortable.
We might have a tendency to turn inward for much of this October period once Venus turns retrograde. Relationships could prove vulnerable with a liability of taking virtually anything said as a criticism. This is a time when compassion, understanding and a willingness to ‘walk a mile in someone’s moccasins’ are called for. Let’s not bruise and irreparably harm our connections. We might choose more alone time or only spend time with those we completely trust. We do have to watch for jealousy and envy without fully acknowledging everything that someone else is going through.
The Libra New Moon on the 8th of October can have us focused on our future and new developments but being impeded by our responsibilities and authority figures. With this Libra New Moon ruled by Venus which is retrograde back through a Sign of its Detriment, Scorpio, this two-week period of the waxing Moon could be one whereby we are fast out of the gate only to be slowed or stopped by obstacles in the way. We may have great ideas but the implementation and manifestation could take longer than we like with various curveballs of unexpected factors thrown into a disruptive mix.
The 9th of October has Mercury exiting Libra to enter Scorpio, followed on the 10th by Mercury opposed Uranus and Venus square Mars. With Mercury entering Scorpio, we now have a Stellium of three planets in the Fixed Water Sign as Mercury joins Venus and Jupiter in Scorpio. Intensity can be ratcheted up severalfold. Our thoughts may be quite intense with an ability to cut to the core with our communications likely to be concise, succinct and liable to be ‘zingers’. This is a time when it would be wise to maintain restraint in our communications and our actions. Adverse Mercury Uranus aspects raise the possibility of miscommunications, misunderstandings, problems with technology, travel difficulties and my least favorable planetary connection for air travel. We might be champing at the bit to get on with things, but this period is one when haste truly makes waste. Impetuous, we could start off in a particular direction, realize that we might have headed off in a wrong direction, but adamant to make the wrong direction work for us rather than turning around and starting over again.
The 12th of October could have us feeling like we’ve been socked in the gut and leaving us reeling and unable to move forward. The Sun squares Pluto, and Mercury sextiles Saturn. Instead of trying to force issues, this is a time to step back and review what we are trying to do. By truly considering our plans, we might determine whether our intentions are solid and based upon what truly impassions us or if we’re only trying to succeed at something that would win us praise and admiration but little self-fulfillment. Whether our plans are solid and fundamental or not, we have to be wary of naysayers, those people willing to rain on our parade and add extra stress to our efforts to achieve. This is a time for us not to be thwarted but rather to reevaluate.
Once we have determined whether to go forward or to bring a halt to certain projects, it would be wise for us to keep our cards close to our chest. We don’t need anyone trying to one up us whether castigating us for not advancing certain projects we’ve deemed too taxing or for progressing with certain endeavors that they believe to be a foolish venture.
The 15th of October has Mercury conjunct Venus. If we are feeling ‘once burnt twice shy’, we could be reticent about sharing with other people and highly selective with whom we are likely to share. Relationships can be dicey and we might question whom we can truly trust. Let’s avoid the paranoia and not fall prey to jealousy. If we can get a handle on the energy and not let the energy control us, we may be able to discover secrets and zero in on what is going on with other people. Not everything is likely to be revealed or transparent, so we shall have to have our antennae up and be adept at picking up the signals to understand what is really happening.
With the Mercury transit of Scorpio being energized by its various planetary connections since Mercury first entered Scorpio on the 9th, our mind may be awhirl with a myriad of thoughts and feelings ranging from revelatory to suspicious, from comprehending to paranoia, and from intuitive understanding to spilling the beans, this latter characteristic possibly evident on the 19th of October when Mercury trines Neptune and Mercury squares Mars. Our intuition can be spot on with our ability to sense what is truly operating. Our emotions can be heightened with a strong sense of empathy and compassion. What we need to be wary of is any tendency to jump into a situation with all good intentions without considering the impact or the ramifications of our actions. Based upon our spiritual essence and a desire to do good works, we could easily entangle ourselves in a situation that has all the hallmarks of ‘right action’ but might turn out to be a disastrous course of affairs. We could say too much, try to do too much and without things turning out right but rather so wrong.
Let’s keep in mind, always be mindful, of the question of balance, maintaining an equilibrium no matter the swings between extremes.
Another Mercury aspect occurs on the 22nd of October as Mercury sextiles Pluto.
Our ability to get to the heart of any matter and concentrate on the fundamentals can be exemplary. Not only do we have an investigative mind but we also have a strong inner voice guiding and directing us to strip away the surface characteristics in order to get to the mechanics of any situation, any operation. This energy promotes the ability to devise and design the most expeditious and effective means to accomplish our goals. If we are presenting an argument or advocating a cause, we are able to do so with compassion, imagery and tapping into the real substance of the issue. We could discover the optimum solution to any perplexing problem and do so with humility and self-affirming charm.
The 23rd of October has the Sun exiting Libra to enter Scorpio joining the Stellium of Mercury, Venus and Jupiter in the Fixed Water Sign. As it does so, the Sun opposes Uranus also on the 23rd just prior to the Taurus Full Moon on the 24th, the 24th being a day that also has Venus sextile Saturn.
Just like nature itself in the northern latitudes, the astrology at this time suggests we strip away the fluff and the decorative and focus instead on the fundamentals, the basics of every situation. Financial issues can be unnerving with a sense of stability and security shaken up. It would be wise that we be conservative with our expenses and expenditures now, for there could be unexpected costs that arise that would be difficult to anticipate. Sound judgment and making no hasty decisions might prevent us from losses or exorbitant costs. Before making any significant movement, it would be wise for us to check, recheck and draw upon a trusted wise confidante who can lend an objective perspective to our financial affairs.
We might easily wish to throw out various items and replace them with the new and different. Although this period could be a propitious time to pare down, let’s be certain that what we are ridding ourselves are outworn or no longer productive involvements. We are more likely to eliminate than replace, but whatever additions we make might be added impetuously and without full consideration of their usefulness.
At the time of the Full Moon on the 24th, Venus sextiles Saturn, followed on the 26th with the Sun conjunct Venus and on the 27th with the Sun sextile Saturn.
Saturn in its own Sign of Capricorn with positive aspects from the Scorpio-transiting planets of the Sun and Venus at this time can have us relying upon the familiar, drawing upon our experience and with a tendency to be highly resourceful with our time, our monies, and our participation. We are more interested in focusing on our goals and ambitions and may be less accommodating or interested in many social engagements. We might feel driven, concentrating on those things we wish to accomplish. We can take on something of a secretive nature, not so much interested in sharing with other people as much as having our head down and plowing forward. We could feel quite intense, and we do need to recognize our lack of conviviality during this period.
As we come to the end of October we can feel the sands shifting with us possibly breathing a sigh of relief. We may feel more energized and upbeat as Mercury conjuncts Jupiter on the 29th. We might be better able to see the silver lining to many of our situations with the sense that it does truly all work out in the end.
The last day of October has various shifting energies with two Sign changes that might reflect a more positive spin on things. On the 31st, Halloween, Venus retrograding out of Scorpio opposes Uranus before Venus retrogrades back into its own Sign of Libra.
Mercury exits Scorpio to enter Sagittarius, a Sign of its Detriment where Mercury can be upbeat and inspired but with stronger emphasis on wishful thinking than due diligence or analytical reasoning.
Although there might be a blowup regarding relationship matters as we end October, we can all be thankful that the Stellium in Scorpio is ended with both Mercury and Venus exiting the Fixed Water Sign. We could feel less stuck, far more upbeat, far less intense and more interested in win-win scenarios in our contacts and connections as opposed to our liability of being overly judgmental and even a little paranoid about the motives of other people.
October 2018… Over There Instead of Here…
