The Autumn Equinox and the beginning of the autumn season occurs on the 22nd when the Sun exits Virgo to enter the Cardinal Air Sign of Libra [8:44 AM EDT].
The 22nd also has Venus square Pluto just before Venus exits its own Sign of Libra and enters Scorpio [10:36 PM EDT], a Sign of Detriment for Venus.
While relationships are highlighted under the Libran influence, Venus in Scorpio can make our connections with other people intense, passionate with no half measures in our interactions. Either we love someone deeply and totally, or we hate them with vehemence, and often with one’s attitude shifting from one to the other dramatically and quickly.
With Venus entering Scorpio, we have by Sign a Water Grand Trine which will continue through early November with substitutes of planetary players transiting Scorpio. Emotions are heightened with various mood swings impacting our actions and reactions.
The fourth week of September could be a highly productive time thanks to Mercury triggering an Earth Grand Trine with Mercury aspecting the three transcendental planets, similar to the Sun’s aspects earlier of the three transcendental planets between the 19th and 22nd. Mercury trines Uranus on the 24th, Mercury opposes Neptune on the 25th, and Mercury trines Pluto on the 26th just before Mercury exits its own Sign of Virgo and enters Libra [4:09 AM EDT].
This three-day period from September 24th through the 26th has our critical, analytical mind highly attuned. We are likely to receive flashes of genius that give us an understanding that is beyond our usual comprehension. With our vision and foresight enhanced we can devise a best practices approach. Our forensic ability of cutting to the core along with inspired thoughts allows us to brainstorm the most effective approach, draw upon unanticipated variables that may grease our wheels, and accomplish more than we could imagine possible.
Mercury entering Libra could make us more collaborative, more attentive to input from other people. We are far more interested in going somewhere with someone rather than journeying alone. We do need to recognize that with Venus in Scorpio relationships may be intense with liabilities of jealousy and possessiveness.
The end of September is a primo time to get things done, advance our long-term goals, and concentrate on both our professional and our personal interests.
The 30th of September has Mars trine Saturn and the Sun conjunct Mercury. Taking care of what needs to get done, ridding ourselves of the superfluous and focusing on the truly essential are ways by which we can close out the month of September effectively and productively and do so without stepping on anyone’s toes. We are cognizant of our environment and mindful of our impact upon other people. We may choose to win people to our side.
This latter part of September is a time when we can be operating on greased wheels and accomplishing whatever we set our sights on.
We come into October with both an Earth Grand Trine and a Water Grand Trine suggesting that we can still be operating at our optimum all the while that our sensitivity and compassion are heightened.
Without any Fire providing an impetus for our actions, we could find ourselves responding to situations and reacting to whatever is going on around us.
The Autumn season truly begins with the Libra New Moon, a Solar Eclipse, on the 2nd of October when the Sun conjuncts the Moon [2:49 PM EDT]. The New Moon is also conjunct Mercury and has the continuing influence of the Water Grand Trine.
Relationships are accentuated with an eye to the future and what we might choose to pursue. The three transcendental planets of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto are engaged by orb and suggest that the dynamics of the paradigm shift are in play with things happening not so much by our control but rather the influence of the natural unfolding during these times.
The 4th of October has Venus trine Saturn. Relationships may be intense and passionate but with a greater solidification to the connection. Contacts with old friends are likely, and we might consider a reach out to people we haven’t heard from in a while. Although I have reached an age when the timing is not unusual, I have found it startling that in the past fifteen months I have known eighteen people who have crossed over. Being social animals, people are important to us and add sparkle to our lives. Now can be a time when we make extra effort in thinking about how various people have impacted our lives at different times in our journey.
Mercury squares Mars on the 6th of October. Friendships could be negatively impacted if we hold people to high expectations. We are liable to feel that we do not have the resources available to accomplish our greatest endeavors. People may be on edge with unanticipated situations upsetting our plans. Today is a day to avoid rash actions, impetuous decisions. Taking time to ‘chill out’ would be suggested, for intemperate behavior is liable to have unfortunate consequences.
Two especially pleasant energy configurations occur on the 8th of October. Venus trines Mars, and Mercury trines Jupiter. Feeling upbeat and confident, we can see the successful accomplishments of our future involvements. Our attitude may be contagious with everyone in a ‘feel good’ disposition. People might seem more compassionate, more willing, and more concerned with what is going on with other people. We could even have a greater sense of the intertwining of the family of humankind.
Jupiter turns retrograde on the 9th of October [3:05 AM EDT]. Much of our expansionary energy and the development of our future goals may have to be put on pause for us both to reevaluate what we intend for our future and to assess what the consequences of elections and unfolding conditions may foretell. Not that we need to put on hold our involvements. We just need to taper our optimism, take a more realistic view of our intentions, and recognize that during this paradigm shift unexpected occurrences can impact, both positively and negatively, the course of our actions.
On the 11th, Pluto ends its five-and-a-half-month retrograde cycle and turns direct [8:34 PM EDT]. Whenever Pluto changes direction, there can be various upheavals. Geophysical activity of earthquakes and volcanoes could increase. Certain companies and institutions may be tottering or close. Strains in the financial system might be seen. And aggressive conflicts are liable to ratchet up. There is a Humpty Dumpty-like effect to Pluto changing direction. While others may crumble, we need to be wary of a personal fall.
The 13th of October can prove to be a mixed bag. Mercury squares Pluto in the morning, just before Mercury exits Libra to enter Scorpio [3:23 PM EDT] in the afternoon, and the Sun trines Jupiter at the end of the day. Relationships can be critical and fault-finding as we begin this day. There could be a tug-of-war between conflicting interests. We need to avoid discussions turning into heated arguments eventually leading to walkaways without areas of disagreement resolved. Our mind shifts from an interest in collaboration and other people’s concerns to a sharp, even biting thought process where we drill down into what is really going on but may not reveal what we find and keep our cards close to our chest. There is a brightening up that occurs late at night. Like water under the bridge, arguments are forgotten, relationships likely healed, even though we may be more focused on what we want to do and how we want to do it with scant attention to what is going on with someone else.
The volatility of these times of the paradigm shift can have us swinging from extreme to extreme. Sunday the 13th could have been a case in point with intense, possibly negative, energy early in the day, only to have an exuberant and enthusiastic energy to end the day.
Whenever we experience volatility, we need to be wary of the extremes and try to modulate the swings. That necessity might be especially evident on the 14th of October when the Sun squares Mars and Venus opposes Uranus. If people are feeling vulnerable, they are likely to lash out. Everyone may be operating more from their emotions than rationality. Even people with whom we feel secure and comfortable could have an edge on today. Moodiness might be rampant with some people playing the victim and believing they are being picked on. This is a day to walk on eggshells in our interactions with people.
While the 14th might have had our connections with people testy, the 15th of October could seem to have relationships almost idyllic. Venus trines Neptune, and we may feel as though we are doing the dance with a soulmate connection. Spending time with that special someone, with family, and with friends can be pleasant interactions and may reenforce our attitude that life is good.
The 17th of October has the Aries Full Moon [7:26 AM EDT]. This Full Moon has a loose Cardinal Grand Cross with the Sun Moon opposition in orb of a square to Mars in Cancer and a wider orb of a square to Pluto in Capricorn. Venus sextiles Pluto. Intensity may be ratcheted up with increased push – pulls in relationships. We need to be especially careful now, for there can be violent outbursts. Geophysical activity of earthquakes and volcanoes could increase. Weather systems might wreak havoc. And belligerent, warlike activity is liable to be on the uptick. The equity markets and financial system may be negatively impacted. Everyone needs to calm things down, avoid kneejerk reactions, and instead take time for the dust to settle and contemplate what is really going on.
Venus sextiles Pluto on the 17th, and we could find someone providing us a steadying influence during the maelstrom of this Full Moon influence. Venus exits Scorpio, a Sign of Detriment for Venus, and enters Sagittarius. We may look beyond our narrow framework and seek out people from different realms. We are able to take off blinders of our comfort zone of the familiar and reach beyond our normal confines to engage the foreign and the unfamiliar.
In numerology the number 22 is a master number representative of the master builder. If we can attain the mastery of the number 22, we can determine solid foundation stones for our endeavors. If we are unable to do so, we bring the 22 down to the 4 with a lot of work that resembles more grind and groan.
The 22nd of October has Mercury trine Saturn, and the Sun square Pluto before the Sun exits Libra to enter Scorpio [6:15 PM EDT]. This is a day when foresight and strategic planning can go a long way to expeditious and successful achievement. Our mind is sharp and our patience strong. We will take our time to get it right and do it right. Not everyone is likely to agree with our intentions. We might have to go it alone, for we could encounter naysayers to our ideas and to our plans.
Being more effective with less expenditure of energy could be our sentiment on the 24th of October when Mars sextiles Uranus. We may draw upon both our determination and streamlined methodology to accomplish whatever we choose to get done. This would also be a time for us to make changes to our environment, ridding ourselves of the extraneous and creating a conducive space with added technology software to ease our operations. We can be gung-ho in whatever we pursue, so it would be wise that we be clear about our direction and itinerary.
The 28th of October has a great deal of Pisces influence with Mars in the 3rd decanate of Cancer [Pisces] trine Neptune in its own Sign of Pisces, and Venus square Saturn in Pisces. This is Halloween week, and we need to avoid using this ‘holiday’ for a weeklong binge into excess or a traipse through fantasyland. Water is highly emphasized, so let’s be careful around water — e.g., leaks, plumbing, rains, flash flooding, boating, and any water connected activities.
We also have the Water Grand Trine emphasized during this end of October, early November. Water, water everywhere. Emotions can be heightened, indulgences possible, and moods shifting in reaction to changing circumstance.
My least favorite energy configurations for travel and technological issues are at play on the 30th of October as Mercury opposes Uranus. While we might get remarkable insights, the frequencies could be so high that it is difficult to rein them in and bring them down to the lower frequencies of the earth plane. This configuration might trigger problems with travel, communications, and the Internet.
Whether we got flummoxed by the Mercury Uranus opposition or stepped neatly by it, the 31st allows us to get back on track thanks to Mercury trine Neptune. Our intuition can be strong and combined with a forensic ability to dissect whatever is going on, we could be spot on regarding our assessments of situations and able to devise our best way forward.
We come into November with the Scorpio New Moon as the Sun conjuncts the Moon [8:47 AM EDT] on the 1st and truly engages the Scorpio motif for the month with an emphasis on cutting to the core, drawing upon the fundamentals, and intensely moving forward with a bare bones disposition.
Our approach may be no nonsense, an attitude invigorated on the 2nd of November as Mercury trines Mars and Mercury sextiles Pluto. With dogged determination, we may strip away from our lives what we now consider to be the superfluous and extraneous. We want to get to the very basics of our doing life, but we do have to watch that our approach isn’t so uncompromising that we act like Sherman’s March to the Sea with a scorched earth policy of burning everything in our path. This would be a time for a clearing out and cleansing of the non-essential but also a time to build up the necessary and significant.
After aspecting Mars and Pluto on the 2nd earlier in the day, Mercury exits Scorpio to enter Sagittarius [3:18 PM EDT], joining Venus in the Mutable Fire Sign. Our thoughts can broaden, as we take off blinders and look from a wider perspective. While Mercury in Scorpio might have sharpened our ability to dissect and get to the heart of any matter, Mercury in Sagittarius may be more uplifting, optimistic, and hopeful. Being in Detriment in Sagittarius, Mercury could have our thinking becoming too diffuse, incorporating so many factors that we lose sight of the key theme.
The volatility of these times may seem extreme on the 3rd of November when Mars opposes Pluto and Venus opposes Jupiter. Late in the day, Mars exits Cancer to enter Leo [11:10 PM EST].
Pluto being the higher octave of Mars, in adverse connection as they are with the opposition, there is the liability of extreme physical actions, acting out and violent behavior. A high energy configuration, it is necessary we maintain a grip on our physical energy and not allow it to ramp up to aggressive behavior.
The two ‘good guys’ of the planetary realm, Venus and Jupiter, in opposition increase the liability of extreme behavior. Everyone may want to be Number 1, take their place on center stage, and unwilling to brook any questioning of one’s position. This can be a dicey proposition with everyone liable to be jockeying for position.
In most of the States in the US, the 3rd is also the day when daylight savings time ends, and standard time begins again. Like a change in direction of the planets, this switch can be upsetting to our equilibrium, and might make us feel unsteady, which sometimes takes a day or two to adjust to the time change.
The entrance of Mars into Leo gives a thrust to our personal creative expressions. Coming out from Cancer, a Sign of its Fall where the physical energy of Mars is weakened, Mars in Leo gives us fire in our belly, a greater willingness to find those outlets where we can stand out and put our personal mark upon our individual world.
On the 4th of November the Sun trines Saturn. We could focus on creating solid templates for our projects. Getting rid of any excess, we would be able to concentrate on the truly significant and well organized. With our attention to our long-term goals, we might figure out a best practices approach to achieve successful results.
Following the US Election on the 5th, Venus squares Neptune on the 9th of November. No matter the election results, not everyone is likely to be happy with the outcome and with an outcome liable to be tainted by ensuing lawsuits and legal bickering. We need to be careful in our interactions at this time. People could be pontificating and may easily become disillusioned with those people whose opinions do not match their own. The divisiveness in the country is alarming and is unlikely to get better with the constant stirring up of extreme rhetoric.
After I had suggested that Trump would win the election based on his being the more likely of the two liable to assassination attempts, even people I have known for sixty years canceled me. They thought I was propagandizing for Trump when in fact I pointed out in the incoming Administration’s chart the Sun Pluto conjunction opposed by Mars, energy configurations that suggest possible physical violence against the President, e.g., assassination attempts. Trump, it seemed to me, and evidence suggests, is more liable to such violence than Harris.
The 11th of November has Venus exiting Sagittarius and entering Capricorn [1:26 PM EST]. Our consideration of contacts and those people with whom we might want to associate may focus on which people can help us realize our goals. While Venus in Sagittarius may have had us interested in people of foreign extraction or who have had a worldly experience, Venus in Capricorn can have us more interested in no-nonsense connections that benefit our ambitions.
Mercury square Saturn on the 12th of November might have us feeling blocked by our responsibilities and domestic demands. We could have a sense that what we want to do is curtailed by what we need to do. We need to be wary of putting blinders on and only seeing what is right in front of us. Depression can narrow our focus and dismiss the magic and mini miracles of these times of paradigm shift when things may occur in the most inexplicable ways. Our thoughts might be the impeding factor now, not the reality of a situation.
The Full Moon on the 15th of November when the Sun opposes the Moon [4:28 PM EST] is also the day when Saturn ends its four-and-a-half month’s retrograde cycle and turns direct [9:20 AM EST]. With the Full Moon also impacting Uranus with the Moon conjunct Uranus and the Sun opposed Uranus exact on the 16th, unexpected situations could trip us up and raise questions of stability and our security. This is a time when we need to engage the Taoist sentiment of ‘bend like a reed or break like an oak’. Adaptability and flexibility are essential characteristics during the paradigm shift in which we are operating, and this weekend with heightened energies suggests we be willing to shift and change as circumstance and conditions warrant.
The 18th of November has the Sun trine Neptune and Mercury opposed Jupiter. There are times when we need to draw upon our faith and a belief that everything happens for a reason, even when we don’t understand what the reason might be. Today is such a day, a day for us to draw upon our acceptance of forces greater than oneself. The Mercury Jupiter configuration is also a Mutual Reception with Mercury being in the Sign ruled by Jupiter, Sagittarius, and Jupiter being in the Sign ruled by Mercury, Gemini. Mutual receptions heighten the influence of the two energies, and in this case of the opposition, we need to avoid blithely assuming that everything will go our way with a degree of over confidence and over optimism which may not be in accord with conditions. There can be a great deal of talk, but it would be wise for us to include moments of reflection and contemplation and not get carried away solely by good feelings.
Pluto ends its transit of Capricorn on the 19th, a transit that began back in 2008, interrupted briefly during the spring of 2023 through the 1st of this past September when Pluto entered Aquarius and provided a prelude to what we might encounter over the next twenty years. When Pluto first entered Capricorn back in 2008, we experienced the global financial system in process of a meltdown. When Pluto exited Capricorn to enter Aquarius back in the spring of 2003, we experienced several banks going under or taken over. Shall we experience something similar as Pluto completes its transit of Capricorn this November?
Certainly, we are at an end of a particular phase about to enter a new phase. When Pluto last transited Aquarius back in the late 1700s, humankind experienced both the American Revolution and French Revolution, and inventions that presaged the Industrial Revolution. Since cycles repeat certain patterns, this transit of Pluto in Aquarius may have people rising up against the powers-that-be and inventions that bring us more fully into the Technological Revolution.
As the Sun exits Scorpio to enter Sagittarius on the 21st of November [2:56 PM EST], the Sun sextiles Pluto. With a thrust of exuberance, now would be a time for us to consider our future options and alternatives to the ways we have been doing life. We can broaden our reach, expand our horizon, all with a sense of purpose and true meaning for whatever we might choose to engage. We can be buoyed in our confidence, no matter how crazy things may seem to be in the world-at-large.
Taking a proactive approach to life with the understanding that we are co-creators with the universe unfolding would allow us to carve our own path, all the while keeping aware of the signs along the way. We do not need to be solely reactive to life with life doing us, but instead could engage life, initiate our projects, and move ahead with a willingness to adapt to changing conditions.
Friday the 22nd of November begins the holiday week of Thanksgiving in the US. The 22nd has Venus sextile Saturn. With the start of the end-of-year holidays upon us, we might connect with old friends, people from our past with whom we have had little contact. This would also be a good time to get our house in order, physically as far as our home and work environment and figuratively as far as budgeting our expenses and determining the monies to be spent for the holidays. Reconnections with old friends can also provide a good mirror for us to reflect on where we were and who we were when we were last in contact with them. Each of us has changed. We have all gone through an alchemical process whereby going through the challenges and fires of these recent times we have transformed into a new sense of being.
The final Mercury retrograde of 2024 begins on the 25th of November and has Mercury retrograding through Sagittarius until December 15th when Mercury turns direct. Murphy’s Law of ‘whatever can go wrong could go wrong’ is engaged again. Coming during this holiday period, it would be wise for us to have contingency plans in mind. Travel plans may be disrupted, miscommunications rampant, and computer issues a factor. We might have to realize that matters are often out of our control, and we need to accept that situations may not go according to our plan.
Foreign affairs can grab our attention through the end of the year and into early 2025.
We come into December with the Sagittarius New Moon on the 1st when the Sun conjuncts the Moon [1:21 AM EST]. The New Moon configuration has a Mutable Sign T-Square by orb with the New Moon opposed Jupiter and the New Moon square Saturn. The New Moon signature also trines Mars. The New Moon influences the next two weeks up to the Full Moon on the 15th. The tendency and liability of being all over the place with gusto cannot be discounted during this fortnight. We might feel as though we are caroming between going overboard with our activities and being restricted by having our wings clipped. We need to modulate our behavior and avoid extremes. Any rush to judgment is liable to have a nasty pushback.
The 2nd of December can provide a grounding element to our frenzy as Venus trines Uranus. Someone might provide valuable assistance to our completing our tasks and moving ahead with our goals. We could utilize streamlined methods and new technologies to be more effective with less expenditure of energy. Options and alternatives may provide greased wheels or make us aware of trajectories more aligned with our intentions. We need to be open to receive, for the opportunities associated with this energy configuration are likely to occur unexpectedly and without forewarning.
The Venus connection to Uranus on the 2nd begins the aspects of Venus to the three transcendental planets as Venus trines Uranus on the 2nd, Venus sextiles Neptune on the 4th, and Venus conjuncts Pluto on the 7th. Our benefits may come from other people who might provide insight, encouragement, and assistance amidst the helter-skelter of this period.
During this first week of December, Jupiter in Gemini and Saturn in Pisces are engaged in a Mutable Sign T-Square with the Sun and Mercury both transiting Sagittarius.
The 4th has Mercury opposed Jupiter, the Sun square Saturn, and Venus sextile Neptune. Our thoughts may be expansive with a hope that what we want we can get. The reality may be something less with delays and frustrations blocking the realization of our desires. Things are far easier achieved in concept than in practical implementation, a fact likely to be made evident at this time. Even if we feel disappointed by the obstacles to achieving our goals, we can find solace in the comfort and love of another. We don’t have to play out the ‘misery loves company’ scenario, but we can step away from a focus on our miscues and concentrate on the love and friendship with a special someone.
The love we share with another person could give us a thrust of energy on the 5th when the Sun conjuncts Mercury. Although we might have been thwarted by any impediments to our plans yesterday, we may have found emotional support and comfort. The 5th gives us a thrust of energy and possibly the determination to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and start all over again.
The stops and starts of early December continue as December 6th gives us Mercury square Saturn and Mars turning retrograde [6:33 PM EST]. Mercury completes its Mutable Sign T-Square having opposed Jupiter on the 4th and today with the square to Saturn. The wild swings between euphoria and despair during this early December can have us feeling like we’re banging our head against the wall today. We need to avoid having blinders on and assuming reality to be a foreboding place out to hurt us. With Mars turning retrograde in Leo our physical energy could wane. We might feel that we do not have the strength or the persistence to pursue our greatest adventures. If need be, let’s go to the wailing wall and whine about our greatest frustrations. But if we go there, let’s go there with a timer, set it for ten or fifteen minutes, wail to our heart’s content, and after the timer goes off, wash our hands, wash our face, and change our attitude.
Life may have its share of pain, but the suffering is optional
The 7th of December has the Sun completing its Mutable Sign T-Square with the Sun opposed Jupiter. The Sun had squared Saturn back on the 4th. Venus exits Capricorn to enter Aquarius [1:13 AM EST] with Venus today conjunct Pluto. Neptune turns direct. The past few days with the frantic energies running between expansion and contraction may have worn us out, but our intentions for our future could be strong. Social gatherings of one or several and whether in person or by telecommunications can have us pumped up, considering our future endeavors and all with the encouragement of a special someone. We might want to take on the world, but it would be wise for us to focus on what we feel drawn to achieve in our personal world. Like a pebble dropped in a pond with its ripple effects, our determination to make our personal world a better place can have ripple effects on the people around us, our community, and the world at large.
Venus opposes Mars on the 12th of December, and we need to avoid a tug-of-war with someone. While there can be a balance between our masculine and feminine energies, we might have a scuffle between the two characteristics before we come to equilibrium. Once parity is created, our relationships are likely to be stronger, and we might be far more capable of strategizing the best ways to achieve our intended goals. No need for contentiousness when we can determine a win-win scenario.
The 13th of December with Mercury sextile Venus can have our mind wandering the limitless terrain of prospects and alternatives. We are likely feeling upbeat and willing to engage the extraordinary and even other worldly. Whether we are privy to the magic and mini miracles of the paradigm shift, we are at the very least open to possibilities that may seem at first impossible. Increasingly, the blinders are being removed. We can see from peripheral vision and are more open to interesting phenomena.
The term ‘divine intervention’ has been bandied about, a term that reveals those inexplicable incidents each pf us may be occasionally experiencing.
The Gemini Full Moon on the 15th of December when the Sun opposes the Moon [4:02 AM EST] has a loose Mutable Sign T-Square with both the Sun and Moon square to Neptune. This is also the day that Mercury ends its three-week retrograde cycle and turns direct [3:56 PM EST]. Whenever Mercury turns direction, things can get squirrely until we become accustomed to the shift in the energies.
During these times of the paradigm shift, it is often difficult to ascertain what is really going on. We are no longer dealing in sequential reality but rather in asequential reality where things can happen in the most unexpected manner and what often seems like random happenings. In addition to the inexplicable characteristics of this paradigm shift we have society having morphed into the post-modern era where the subjective supersedes the objective and fiction often regarded as fact. All these changes occurring can certainly be destabilizing if not crazy making.
The 18th of December has the Sun square Neptune. We might feel highly creative in our mind but have difficulty in implementing our conceptual into the physical. Confusion regarding our direction forward could keep us stymied as though spinning our wheels, getting somewhere in our mind’s eye but nowhere as far as manifestation. This would be a time to consider our options but not to act on them. Let’s take a breather, enjoy the spirit of the holidays, and not feel pressured to do anything concrete.
The last major energy configuration of the autumn season has the two ‘good guys’ of the planetary realm, Venus and Jupiter, in trine aspect on the 19th of December. Love and romance are highlighted with scintillating conversations and full appreciation that life is good.
Autumn 2024… deepening awareness through transformations…
