Kiss the doldrums goodbye (and good riddance)! October is a happening month.
Clouds are parting. A path is opening. Cosmic hands are shoving us onto it. And by the end of the month, we’re taking that path seriously indeed. And possibly a certain person, too.
Progress rolls out in two distinct phases, with the turning point falling neatly on the 15th. The first half moves us out of personal detail-driven clean-up and reboot and into expansiveness and taking others more into account. Perhaps with a touch of kicking and screaming; perhaps that’s mostly at ourselves.
The second half is a wild ride of awakening, adventuring, refocusing and, ultimately, stability. It starts with a galvanizing bang that slams us back into ourselves, and how. Intense conversations, impulses and events follow that strip priorities down to essentials. After that, we’re taking devil-may-care risks and hearts’ desires get real.
Both phases come with a low but constant rumble. Identifying it may be beyond your abilities (though at times you’ll swear you’re hearing the “Jaws” theme). Scorpio is prominent in the sky — the sign hosts Venus in the first half, the Sun starting the 22nd, Mercury on the 24th, the New Moon on the 30th). The veil is thin; the atmosphere teems with mystery, intrigue and a hint of danger.
Think of that rumbling as a reminder to make the most of your time on this side of the divide. Be present and live, here and now, deeply and unwaveringly. The low-level noise is nagging you to push yourself, to confront yourself, to speak up, to not waste time and energy on fluff but instead immerse yourself in profound meaning.
October also brings an easing and, for a bit, speeding up, in the flow of information and getting around. After hunkering down in Virgo for a couple of months, cosmic messenger Mercury cycles through three distinct modes in this one month.
With him still in Virgo until the 7th, the occasional detail will continue to trip us and call for clean-up, the last gasp of Mercury’s recent retrograde. When he takes off into Libra’s airiness on the 7th, the pace speeds up. Thoughts, words and messages take on gracefulness, social niceties and awareness of others. Talking things out, even negotiating, is in style. With the sign’s ruler, Venus, herself in Scorpio through the 18th, what’s being conveyed has an inherent honesty and power that shines through any pretty words that Libra may paint.
Before he dons his third guise, the Aries Full Moon on the 15th blasts us out of complacency and confines (and Lord know what else) and into impulsive, self-directed action. It’s a cocktail of emotional volatility, epiphanies and communication with no room for take-backs.
The incendiary power comes from radical Uranus being conjunct the Moon, with Mercury in an action-demanding square to Pluto, ruler of metamorphosis and the depths of our beings. It’s time for another round of cathartic structural change. This one is both furthering change and revving our engines for the dramatic blast-off coming at year’s end.
The Full Moon also launches a fortnight of fierce, forced action furthering the process. Mars, the god of war and ruler of our drive and aggression, meets with Pluto on the 19th, then clashes with Uranus on the 28th.
This line-up pounds at structures and fault lines that have been worked over in recent years. It shatters restrictions, real or perceived, no matter the cost. Under this assault, stuck places and impediments have to give; new approaches and progress toward long-term goals are inevitable.
There’s another, less pleasant potential, unfortunately, and that is for fury, accidents and violence. David striking at Goliath is a probable theme, with the twist that each side is certain it’s the little guy fighting the monster.
A saving grace comes from Venus moving into Sagittarius on the 18th, while tension is building. In this jovial, fun-loving mode, the love goddess encourages looking for like-minded companions, humor, adventure and bright spots, come what may.
Venus in Sag can also find sport in argument, however, and fan jingoism and “my way or the highway” entrenchment. Add to this the social niceties of Libra giving way to depth, intensity and the surfacing of unpleasant truths (or demons) when Mercury dives into Scorpio on the 24th.
Discussions about ideas and beliefs could turn serious and nasty, fast. As for what this line-up bodes for politics in late October….alas and alack, we ain’t seen nothing yet. With Venus completing a harsh, demanding aspect to Neptune on the 25th, lies and hidden factors are coming out; illusions are losing appeal; denial is vanishing in a finger snap (or thunder clap).
You can either harness this energy to push ahead on long-term construction and break free dramatically from restraints, or you can let events happen to you that wield a similar impact. Either way, you’re running a gauntlet of experiences that shake you to the core, awaken you to what matters most, and send you running straight for it.
The gauntlet empties into a somber, thoroughly adult meeting between Venus and Saturn on the 29th. You know what you want, and who you want. It’s time to get real. It’s time to put form and structure onto those desires. It’s time to commit.
That act feels appropriate, beneficial, maybe a bit magical and even fated. Deep, deep intimacy is in the air with the Scorpio New Moon, which brings a fittingly fright-facing, Halloween vibe to the month’s end.
The veil is thin; this side tempts with reasons to stay. While we dance with ghosts, real and costumed, expansive Jupiter is saluting the North Node of Destiny. He’s looking from his current position in the sign of relationships, Libra, and acknowledging the work and improvement projects we perfected during his last year in Virgo. His salute signals: This way to the future.
Learn more in my Astro-Overview for Fall 2016: Welcome to the New Normal. (You’ll need to register at the hosting site for access to the recording.)
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