October asks us to assert our individuality without compromising our principles. Not so easy, though. As eclipse season begins, Mars and Jupiter turn retrograde, while three planets turn direct—throw in the astrological earthquake of Saturn and Uranus back in an incendiary square, and well, wanna meditate? Yep, it’s quite the month!
The celestial skies are dramatic, making it hard to plan; it is best to stay fluid. Remember throughout all of it, though: the only constant thing is change. Here are the major transits in October:
October begins with Mercury stationing direct in the sign of Virgo, which may not feel like the relief we were hoping for; as Mercury turns direct, he opposites nebulous Neptune. So, cue Genesis and the creepy puppets: we are still in the land of confusion and weirdness. Indeed, that was one of the most challenging Mercury retrogrades. However, by October 11, when Mercury enters harmony-seeking Libra, we can start to resolve misunderstandings and snafus Mercury created. Mercury leaves its shadow on October 17; by then, we will experience a sense of clarity and relief immediately, amen. Exhale.
A Full Moon arrives on October 9 at 16° Aries, conjunct wounded healer Chiron, and opposite loving Venus. This emotionally charged full moon is like the lights going on in the club at the end of the night and will expose our vulnerabilities and wounds, especially around relationships and self-confidence. Finding that balance of self-assertion and compromise is critical; the emphasis is on you, note to self. Remember that. No, really, remember it.
Venus cojoins the Sun on October 22, forming a Venus star point in Libra, which, like Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, hasn't happened for 150 years. Venus conjuncts the Sun at 29 degrees Libra. It is a new beginning; as Venus enters the heart of the Sun, she receives wisdom, insight, and guidance on how to act with integrity. Libra represents the scales of justice, laws, fairness, and equality. Themes involve injustice against women, feminine energy, and equality and fairness. She represents harmony, the arts, love, relationships, beauty, and femininity. How do we amplify beauty, pleasure, and harmony in ways that have nothing to do with certain websites on our mobile phones? We are beginning a new cycle in feminine energy, romance, culture, values, the arts, and law that will last for 100 years. Praise be the fruits!
Saturn stations direct at 18 degrees of Aquarius. Saturn is pivoting around in its final push through Aquarius. It is a check-in point; if we keep doing what we are doing, will it get us where we want to go or, like that time you misunderstood your Waze directions, will you end up in the complete opposite direction of where you needed to be? If you are lost, it is a time for restructuring and reorganizing to complete things. Trust your instincts, not an iffy, buggy app that may or may not lead you in the wrong direction. What do you want to complete by March 2023, and can you get there on your own?
The energy shifts as the Sun and Venus enter Scorpio on October 23. We go into the depths of Scorpio, into the feeling and letting go. The more profound time is introspective, a time for being with people with whom you feel safe, allowing us to make peace with grief and process our emotional pains. It is a time of endings, release, catharsis, and transformation that a new lipstick or a new car can’t really help with. The South Node is in Scorpio, which makes this particular Scorpio season much more potent. The theme of decluttering our physical and internal space is a liberation to be freed from the chains that bind us. It is not a time to suppress our emotions, but, rather to release them and free ourselves. Look out, world, and maybe put on some noise cancelling headphones. With the South node in Scorpio, this is a profoundly spiritual undertone; it can be a time to reconnect and nourish you. By being truthful with ourselves, we honor ourselves. Be gentle with yourself and others; use this time to heal and release. Things get deep and quiet in Scorpio season even if the release is loud and clear.
A Solar Eclipse, a new moon, arrives on October 25 at 2° Scorpio—a partial Solar Eclipse visible from Europe and Asia. This South Node eclipse brings our attention to the past, unresolved emotional hurts that need to be released. It is a new moon, yet we cannot move forward until we face unfinished issues, so procrastination is absolutely prohibitive here. Mars rules this lunation in Gemini, where he is about turn retrograde, asking us to move tentatively. Unfortunately, Mars squares, confusing Neptune and creating a lack of clarity. It is a potent time to release emotional hurts and wounds and to be free from what holds us back. It is a profoundly spiritual lunation; finding solace in the divine, nature, or art can help you navigate this powerful eclipse.
On October 28, Jupiter retrograde returns to Pisces, where, like your van life bestie, he first visited from May to July 2021, then again from January to May 2022. On this third and final stint, which lasts until December 20, 2022, Jupiter will bring his work in Pisces to completion. Jupiter in Pisces is a slower pace; your drive and enthusiasm since May now subside. It is a time to go inward and reconnect with our intuition, dreams, and feelings. You can get a second chance to review and revise what you initiated back in late April and early May. Could you check in and ask yourself if the actions you want to take align with your vision and purpose? Jupiter in Pisces is helping us to feel more peaceful, spiritual, empathic, and forgiving.
On October 31, Mars stations retrograde at 25° Gemini and will turn direct again on January 12, 2023. This is one of the most important transits of the year, during which we can slow down, pause, and take extra care in how we communicate. It can feel like we are in a stagnant holding pattern, making it challenging to make decisions and push forward. However, it is a time to go back, revise, and ask questions. Dig deep and look at the workings of your mind and how you communicate. Do not use cutesy abbreviations to save time, either IYKWIM. You can quickly feel irritated and annoyed and react without a filter. Be mindful of social media, gossip, arguments with friends, and mental turmoil. Staying flexible is critical, as everything is up in the air with higher levels of uncertainty. Tip: breathe—Gemini rules the lungs, and it is an excellent time to practice yoga, meditation, or qigong during this time of uncertainty and chaos. It is an opportunity to recalibrate our anger, aggression, and frustration. By the end of this transit, we will hopefully have more patience and better mastery of our thoughts and words.
Your CEO Mars will station retrograde at 25 degrees Gemini from October 30-January 11, 2023; this is the most significant aspect of the year. When your ruler goes retrograde, it is as if the warrior has lost his shield. You're forced to slow down, take pause, and recalibrate. Your third house of communication and learning is activated. Please be extra diligent in how you communicate. There will be excess mental energy, overthinking, overstimulation, and overstressing. It is an ADHD mind, darting from one topic to another, never settling on anything. Energy gets scattered and you can't think things through. You can quickly become short-tempered, irritated, and annoyed. Self-care is critical during this retrograde. Breathe, take a social media time out, do yoga, meditate, or do gentle exercises that calm you. It is an opportunity to revise and review what you initiated back in August. So be flexible, go with the flow, and at the end of this long retrograde, may you have more patience and greater mastery of your thoughts and words.
“Want what you have” is your mantra for the next two months. Mars turns retrograde at 25 degrees of Gemini from October 30-January 11, 2023. Mars will retrograde in your house of cash for the next seven weeks. You may have to reign in your spending during that time. Be extra vigilant in your expenses and try not to live beyond your means. Mars comes around every two years to help rework this area of your life. Taurus, you crave security. Please disentangle your self-worth based on your bank account. It is not worthy of you to do that. Mars in Gemini is excess mental energy, creating anxiety, worry, and overthinking. To calm your mind, the antidote for you is in the sensory pleasures—cooking, listening to music, and retreating to a park. Mars in Gemini is kickstarting an opportunity for you to confront outdated stories about value, money, and material security head-on. Resist any narratives insisting that what you have or do in this world is all of you. Instead, opt out of comparison and write your own story of abundance, remembering to appreciate and want what you already have.
Mars retrogrades in your sign at 25 degrees of Gemini from October 20-January 11, 2023. Since August, you've been multitasking as an Olympian tryout; you don't have to do everything at once. Mars is asking you to hit the pause button, slow down, and recalibrate— and only one goal at a time. Mars retrograde will scatter your energy as you move from one task to another without accomplishing anything. Please be mindful of getting easily aggravated and irritated; anger can bubble up to the surface quickly. Your quick wit can be razor sharp as you can slice others with your words. There is an excess of mental energy; you tend to live in your head, overthinking everything. Slow down, take a break from social media, and breathe. The antidote to an overstimulated mind is to do what calms you. Breathe, try yoga, meditation, and indulge in sensory pleasures. Get out of your head and into your body. May this retrograde show you how to calm your mind and tackle one task simultaneously.
Mars turns retrograde at 25 degrees of Gemini from October 20-January 11, 2023. Mars will activate your behind-the-scenes twelfth house. It is a time to retreat, rest, and heal. Unfortunately, the twelfth house is also the house of self-undoing. Cancer, you are prone to self-sabotage. Mars retrograde is a pause to reflect and review. You can quickly feel that parts of yourself often get pushed to the background. Frustration, irritability, and anger soon surface as you simmer in the backdrop. Your mind can be overly active and hard to turn off. Self-care is critical; the antidote to a racing mind is sensory, so drop into your body. Cook, meditate, do yoga, and be gentle with yourself. Your inquisitiveness to heal your shadow parts during this cycle is courageous. Be mindful of excess mental chatter and the wandering mind, which can take you down a few dark alleys. Stay positive, Cancer. May you re-emerge whole and happy.
Time to rethink your dreams and aspirations. Mars turns retrograde at 25 degrees of Gemini from October 20-January 11, 2023. Your eleventh house of friends, aspirations, and technology is activated during this retrograde, but everything is in flux, Leo. Do you have the right collaborators and friends to support you? Being flexible in the uncertainty is critical; go with the flow. It is the ideal time to complete projects, not to initiate new ones. Your mind may be all over the place with different ideas. Do slay those distractions and focus on the people you want to meet. The energy is scattered, and you can end up getting nothing accomplished. Frustration can quickly arise, be aware of keeping it in check. Then, as you revise your goals, gather more information, and ask questions. Do what you can to calm your mind, take a break from social media, breathe, meditate, do yoga, cook with your friends. May you have greater clarity as Mars moves direct in January.
Burnout is real and it’s time to hit the brakes. Mars turns retrograde in your tenth house of career at 25 degrees of Gemini from October 20-January 11, 2023. If you've been burning the candle at both ends, it is time to take on less and focus on finishing the projects you've started. It is imperative you stay flexible, as everything right now is uncertain. You do tend to worry, overthink, and overanalyze, and Mars in Gemini is not helping. Slow down, ask questions, gather more information, and be aware of distractions. It is imperative to weed out what is not necessary, what drains your energy. Self-care is critical; breathe, meditate, do gentle yoga, and walk in nature. Cook, listen to music, and drop into the grounded sensory pleasures to get out of your head. Mars in Gemini can have you spinning out, worrying about every detail, and not getting anything done, and for you, that is tragic. Prioritize your time, take a break, and you'll be refreshed and motivated in January.
Rein it in, Libra. Mars has been motivating you to travel, learn, and expand your horizons on a grand scale. Mars turns retrograde at 25 Gemini from October 30-January 11, 2023. As a result, you may need to scale back and revise your lofty plans. It is a time to pause, review, revise, and ask more questions. You can quickly get distracted, moving from one idea to the next, not accomplishing anything. It is scattered, busy energy that takes effort to slay the distractions. Your mind can be overly active and overly stimulated. Self-care is essential right now, so try yoga, meditation, and cooking with your loved ones. Drop into the sensory pleasures and get out of your mind. Mars retrograde may be a blessing as you refine what you want to explore and create. Your mind is a livewire of connection and expression as you seek out the places, people, or experiences that expand you.
Take a break as your ruler Mars goes underground. Mars turns retrograde at 25 degrees Gemini from October 30-January 11, 2023. Your eighth house of shared resources, finances, and fears is illuminated. In addition to the eclipse in your sign, this is a pivotal time in your life. Scorpio, take a pause and hold off on making any significant moves. You are strategic, taking time before embarking on new projects or initiatives. You may need to revise your financials, lower debt, and reign in excess spending. Your mind is overly active; ask questions and gather more information before moving forward. The mental chatter is loud, do what you can to calm your mind. Breathing, meditation, and yoga can help. Being in nature and listening to music can still the mind. Fears, worry, and agitation can quickly arise. Watch the working of your mind and be witness to it, not controlled by it. You may also notice a new, laser-sharp ability to articulate the griefs you've been carrying around for a while. What do you need to feel safe as you process your fears? Try to go with the flow; everything is in flux right now. You'll be back in action in January.
Time for a relationship check-up. Mars turns retrograde at 25 degrees Gemini from October 30-January 11, 2023. He is stirring up your house of committed relationships, Sag. Issues previously hidden rise to the surface. The will to compromise with partners, close friends, and collaborators is the sting and salve for you while Mars is in Gemini. Communication with those closest to you gets stickier, murkier, and sharper around the edges — but this time, speak up and address your relationship dynamics. Frustrations, annoyances, and irritability can quickly arise, so be mindful of that. You tend to say whatever comes to mind; you may want to revisit that, Sag. Your mind is overactive; you can quickly become distracted and scattered, distant from the ones you love. The antidote is self-care, yoga, meditation, cooking, and being in nature to calm your mind. Stay flexible, ask questions, and be kind.
De-stress, Capricorn. Mars turns retrograde at 25 degrees Gemini from October 30-January 11, 2023. The planet of drive and courage is demanding you slow down. You've always juggled many projects or responsibilities at once. Working hard is your jam, but not at the expense of your health. So, for the next seven weeks, please slow down and decompress. Do not take on more projects; it is a time to review and revise your current projects. Again, the focus is on your health; make those appointments and ask questions. Please be aware of your mental health. Are you overthinking, worrying, or having anxiety? Activities such as meditation, yoga, or breath work, will be helpful to calm your mind. Cap, you can be so stoic; being vulnerable does not come easily. You do not have to be a wonder woman 24/7. Could you take a pause? Mars won't retrograde this area of your chart until 2037. You can do it.
This month sees a creative expression and romance cool down for you, Aquarius. Mars turns retrograde at 25 degrees Gemini from October 30-January 11, 2023, activating your fifth house of creativity, romance, and kids. Mars jumped started your creativity and romantic life in August; now it is the time to reassess, slow down, and take a pause. Creative projects are under review; you can revise them. It’s best to complete projects before embarking on new ones. If you have gotten involved in a new romance, you may scale back or slow things down. Feelings of frustration and irritability can readily come to the surface. You are usually cool, calm, and collected, but not now. Be mindful of your mind, excessive thinking, and overstimulation, which can harm your well-being. You are an air sign; you spend most of your time in your head. Therefore, breathing, meditation, yoga, and spending time in nature to calm your mind are imperative. Drop into the sensory pleasures which ground you. Come January, you'll have your motivation back; enjoy this time to take a much-needed break.
Your home life is under review, Pisces. Mars turns retrograde at 25 degrees Gemini from October 30-January 11, 2023, activating that domesticity. Mars retrograde is a time to hit the pause button. Major home projects or renovations are put on hold or stalled. It is a time to complete what you have been working on, not to initiate anything new. It is not the ideal time to make significant moves, but it’s imperative you remain flexible. Family dynamics or living situations can be challenging now. Mars is the fighter, and you can quickly become frustrated and irritable; what would not have bothered you in the past will irk you now. You can be easily distracted and scattered, overthinking and accomplishing nothing. But it’s not all doomsday. Calm your overactive mind by cooking, listening to music, dancing, and doing breathing work. Domestic bliss will eventually return in January; learn to tame that overactivity and communicate with kindness.
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