OCTOBER 2011
Well, sometimes the reliability of astrology surprises me. In the September forecast, which was posted well into the month, I wrote about the approachingsquareofUranusand Pluto. Though these planets will not be in exact square until next June, because these planets are in early degrees of the cardinal signs, the square is already coloring evolutions and events because they show up strongly in the equinox and solstice charts. I wrote that this square is the “first quarter” point in a 125-year cycle that began in the mid- to late-1960’s, and reflected on the revolutionary energy that was afoot in those times.
This year has certainly brought forth revolutions all across the Arab world. But I was recalling the 1960’s and the riots and demonstrations by a number of movements, and musing that I really hadn’t seen that this time around, thus far. I also noted, but did not write about, the September 27 New Moon. The chart for that New Moon, as cast for WashingtonDC, which purports to describe trends for the nation, featured Pluto at the very bottom of the chart. Pluto symbolizes deep, powerful change, upheaval. The bottom of the chart (the IC or 4th house cusp) denotes the foundations, the base, the roots. In mundane astrology, the astrology of larger world events, the fourth house represents the foundation of society, the common people, and opposition to the government. I thought of writing something about that placement of Pluto, but couldn’t think of anything to write that would not sound ominous. I was wondering what kind of mass upheaval might be possible, really couldn’t imagine such a thing, so didn’t mention it. In retrospect, I wish I had. I am of course thinking of Occupy Wall Street, the uprising of regular people, first in this country and now abroad, against corporate greed, social inequality, and other grievances, that appears to have come out of nowhere. But it’s right there in the charts. The challenge to the astrologer is to know what to expect out of a vast array of possibilities, and to have the courage to go out on a limb and say something, if for no other reason than as an exploration of our craft.
Aside from the big picture Uranus-Pluto trends, the day to day influences of the month look pretty good. The only exact alignment among the outer planets is a trine of Jupiter and Pluto at the end of October. That alignment is generally beneficial and to be looked forward to.
At the beginning of October the Sun, Mercury and Venus are all in Libra, sign of balance and harmony. One by one those planets enter Scorpio, associated with deep stirrings and exposing and transforming that which needs renewal. I’d say the sooner you start working on matters, the better. Full Moon comes on October 11. New Moon is October 26. On October 28 Jupiter trines Pluto, generally an indication of opportunities for positive transformations.
WEEK BY WEEK:
September 25-October 1: The Sun and Mercury will oppose Uranus on Sunday and Monday, keeping things up in the air. New Moon comes early Tuesday morning, 5:09 a.m. MDT. The Sun and Moon are even more tightly square to Pluto than at Equinox, and the opposition to Uranus remains strong as well. This is a good time to let go of expectations and be in the flow. Let things go differently than planned (as I have this month, filing my forecast later than planned or expected). Permit yourself to experiment. If challenging situations are coming to light, be thankful that you know about them and can address them.
Venus appears close to Saturn in the New Moon chart. This may be a time of testing relationships, when there is more work and less fun, and all the challenges are coming up without the warm fuzzies to make it all seem good. This is a test; this is only a test, unless it is really time for something to come to its natural end.
October 2-8: This week starts off with asquare ofMars and Jupiter on Sunday afternoon. Mars-Jupiter combinations produce expansive action. This could be positive, successful taking initiative, could be spending money, could be overextending, but it is not about playing small.
On Thursday afternoon Mercury is conjunct Saturn. This is a good time to tackle tasks that require concentration and attention to structure and detail, but even simple tasks can be tedious or beset with problems or delays. On Friday and Saturday Venus is in the late degrees of its own sign Libra and is in positive trine alignment with gentle, romanticNeptune. This is a good follow-up to the Mercury-Saturn conjunction which can be quite serious and possibly marked by frustrations or inhibitions, as Venus in Libra trineNeptunecan be quite sweet, romantic and attuned to grace and beauty. Love, sociability and the arts are favored.
October 9-15: The Moon was void of course all day on Sunday, a good time to take it easy. Venus is newly in Scorpio, having made the transition from Libra to Scorpio around midnight Saturday night. We’ll feel more deeply, relate more intensely over the remainder of the month, and we may tend to brood over little details, fume over slights, generally be more intense about all our relationships.
Full Moon comes Tuesday evening, 8:06 pm MDT. Sun is conjunct Saturn, and the Moon, which is always opposite the Sun at Full Moon, is also opposite Saturn. Saturn often figures as limitation or delay, but it also gives form and stability and is long-lasting, enduring. As Saturn is in Libra, associated with relationships and with beauty and love, the brighter side of Saturn may show to advantage. Saturn, with its love of form and order, is said to be “exalted” in Libra, meaning that it functions well there. I personally have found this Full Moon to be a time of appreciating enduring relationships and the people I rely on, and who trust and appreciate and rely on me. The Sun-Saturn conjunction is exact on Thursday.
At this Full Moon, Chiron was directly overhead inWashington. Chiron often shows up as feeling the pain of our wounds and hurts, of that which needs healing, and having the opportunity to work toward that healing. May that be so for this nation; it is sorely needed.
Over the days from Tuesday through Thursday, Mercury is trineNeptune, enhancing understanding and gentleness in our communications and interactions, and Venus is sextile Pluto, deepening our relating. On Thursday morning Mercury enters Scorpio; it’s time to attend with more depth and seriousness to the matters we are contemplating or discussing, while being mindful that it’s easy to be overly serious while Mercury is in Scorpio. Mercury and Venus both will enter light-hearted, philosophical Sagittarius on November 2.
Friday could be a lovely day, capping the influences of midweek with an opposition of Venus and Jupiter in late afternoon. I think of any Venus-Jupiter contact as bringing bounty of love, pleasure and sociability, and perhaps indulgence and extravagance.
October 16-22: All the planetary alignments this week are easy and supportive, and also rather mild or subtle in their influence. On Sunday Mercury is sextile Pluto, good for deep thought and powerful communication. On Monday Mercury is opposite Jupiter. That expands communication and can mean there is a lot of it going on – phone calls, emails, chance encounters. The only caution is to edit yourself a bit, keeping communication focused, and to state things realistically, as Mercury-Jupiter supports lots and lots of talk, optimism, and perhaps a tendency to promise more than one can readily deliver, but it’s great fun.
Midweek appears to be fairly free of special influences. The Sun is trineNeptuneon Friday and Saturday, a subtle influence supporting empathy, understanding and gentleness.
October 23-29: Sun enters Scorpio ‘round noon on Sunday; Mercury and Venus are already in Scorpio. Scorpio is a sensitive water sign, ruled by Pluto, planet of depth and intensity. We’ll naturally be more introspective, more sensitive, more ready to look deeply at matters that we may have glossed over up until now. It’s a great time for some self examination and taking a closer look at your life and connections You should know the cautions by now – don’t brood or go to extremes, just constructively address your life with a goal of positive transformation. Enough putting things off, make the changes you need.
At the beginning of the week we are in the “dark of Moon” period before New Moon and the beginning of a new monthly cycle, making this time even more suitable for withdrawing a bit from outward concerns to focus inward.
New Moon comes on Wednesday, 1:56 p.m. Mountain time. Mars is sextile Saturn in the Full Moon chart, indicating the potential for steady application of effort, and patient assertiveness. Mercury is conjunct Venus, typically an indicator for diplomacy, tact and charm, but both are square Mars, which can bring out passions and conflict, though the Mars alignment with Saturn helps us temper our tempers. So, to sum up, there may be some irritations this week, but we can persevere, speaking our minds with respect and consideration, and the overall outcome will likely be positive and transformative. This combination of influences continues through to at least Friday. Maintain your focus and composure. These days have a lot of potential, don’t waste it.
Also, over this week, Jupiter is coming into trine with Pluto. Jupiter is expansive, Pluto brings transformation. I find that Jupiter-Pluto alignments bring opportunities for positive change, often unexpectedly. Suddenly you may realize that the opportunity you’ve been wishing for is right there and you can take the step you’ve been meaning to take for a long while. Good timing and possibly chance encounters can figure in this. Be on the lookout. This may not a huge thing, but Jupiter trine Pluto does ease us through some stuff, and provide some opportunities and little or big gifts. The Jupiter-Pluto trine is exact Friday morning, 10:46a.m.MountainTime. For extra punch, the Sun is opposite Jupiter and sextile Pluto later in the day Friday, bringing more power to the positive potential of the Jupiter-Pluto alignment.
October 30-November 5: The first part of the week could have its moody moments. Mercury and Venus are transiting the late degrees of Scorpio. Mercury and Venus are squareNeptune on Monday. This could be a good year to put romance and fantasy (or trickery) into any costuming or decorating you’re doing for Halloween.
From Wednesday on, things are lighter, easier. Mercury and Venus enter ebullient Sagittarius Wednesday morning, immediately coming into trine with Uranus, which brings novelty, easy change, unexpected positive developments, insights, positive connections, relationships moving in new directions. Expect to be a little bit lucky. Let it be easy.
Generally this is a rather low key week. On Saturday the Moon is void of course** all day. Take it easy.
November Preview: Neptune will turn direct* on November 9.Neptune stations can be times when matters are confusing or unclear. Paradoxically, if you seek clarity and truth, things usually become clear.
Full Moon comes November 10, bringing some issues to a head. Mercury turns retrograde* on November 23, until December 13. Get your holiday preparations under way early, before the retrograde.
There’s a partial Solar Eclipse on November 24. It will not provide a show in theUnited States, though it may be felt, nonetheless, depending on how strongly it aligns with your personal chart.
*Regular readers of this column and others familiar with astrology know that all the planets occasionally appear to backtrack or “retrograde” in their orbits. A planet will slow down, appear stationary, and then appear to slip backward for a period of a few weeks or months before again appearing to slow down and be stationary before resuming apparent forward motion. Of course the planet is not actually reversing direction but only appears to do so due to its motion relative to Earth’s. Nonetheless, we do feel the effects of these shifts. When a planet is at its “station” or stationary point, the planet’s energies are emphasized; when retrograde, its energies are more internalized. The cycle looks like this. The planet is going forward, and affairs of the planet are moving forward normally. As the planet slows and turns stationary, those matters related to the planet become emphasized in our lives, and significant developments may take place. Then those matters ebb in our outer lives for a while, as we internally digest those developments and realizations and integrate them into our lives during the retrograde. Later, the planet again goes stationary, coming back to the forefront of our awareness, and then “turns direct,” resuming apparent forward motion as we again move forward with those matters related to the planet.
Mercury takes a little three-week retrograde cycle approximately every four months. Our daily affairs slow down and get complicated. Communications get tangled, computers flake out, automobiles break down and travel arrangements fall into disarray, a comedy of scheduling mishaps occurs, and things pretty much slow to a crawl. It’s really a great time to slow down and regroup, to finish projects and catch up on unfinished business. Just try not to launch your big project, or sign on the dotted line for a new contract, job, car, or whatever unless you really need to. Try to get those things moving before the retrograde, and shepherd things patiently along during the retro cycle, knowing that some things may not completely come together until Mercury turns direct. If you are making significant moves during the Mercury retrograde period, just know that some things will have to be straightened out after the direct.
**Moon void of course occurs when the Moon has made all the alignments it will make while in the sign it’s in, and is just “marking time” without real momentum. The Moon goes through a sign in 2 to 2 ½ days, so consequently it also goes v.o.c. Every couple of days as well, sometimes for only a few minutes or more likely hours, but sometimes for more than a day. Things initiated during a Moon void of course period tend to meander off and arrive at a destination other than what was planned. Void of course periods are well used in completing tasks or doing routine chores, or in resting, meditating, and planning for future activities. The v.o.c. period ends when the Moon enters the next sign.
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Sandy Bryan, Astrologer (505) 255-5001
E-mail: sstars@thuntek.net
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