*Times are PDT, unless stated otherwise. Planetary positions are expressed as the degree (rounded to the nearest whole degree) followed by the sign.
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Are you wondering why you feel some of the transits we talk about and not others or why a friend may feel one but you don’t? If the transiting planet affects a planet in your natal chart, that is where the planets were at the time you were born, then you are more likely to feel the transit or may feel it stronger than one that does not affect a planet in your natal chart. Don’t have a chart? Would you like one? Let us know.
On the evening of October 8th, attitudes will shift from forming alliances to deepening them as Venus departs her refined home sign of Libra and enters Pluto’s dominion of intimate Scorpio. Relationships, or the desire for one, may become more intense. Expect to feel and love with your entire being. The life or death energy of penetrating Scorpio will insist that Venus commits to nothing less than total transformation. If we are willing to die a little death – of an entrenched part of our ego, an unhealthy habit or a fixed notion about the way things should be, then we could experience a glorious re-birth into something stronger and more fulfilled. How else can we truly know what love is unless we allow it to move us in a profound way. Compassion will be there to help us through this transition as the slow-moving Moon will take almost 60 hours to get through Pisces. We should also give the time over to reviewing, taking stock and regrouping over these issues during the Moon’s very long, 44 hour void-of-course period that begins at 9:51 am this morning.
During the evening of October 9th, Venus at 1° Scorpio trines Chiron at 1° Pisces opening a gateway to a higher consciousness that may stimulate latent healing talents. We may take a metaphysical approach to treat deep wounds from old relationships or enter into a new significant relationship that could be the catalyst to heal a broken heart and teach the true nature of human love.
Shortly before sunrise on October 10th, the Moon leaves mutable Pisces for cardinal Aries. Try to feel the energy shift, as now there are six planets in cardinal signs and four in fixed, but none in mutable signs. The cardinal energy pushes us to manifest and the fixed gives continuity and strength to whatever is being born. The lack of mutability, however, may mean that change will be difficult. We may be less willing to adapt to new circumstances and experience fear of facing the end of a cycle – that would entail giving up on known factors for something that may be at the moment utterly imperceptible.
On October 11th, the Moon at 18° Aries opposes the Sun at 18° Libra, the Full “Hunter’s” Moon. This aspect, marking the half-way point in the lunar cycle, represents the culmination of that which was started at the New Moon of September 27th, a coming out of sorts of the new thoughts or endeavors that were born a couple of weeks earlier. As noted in the last AstroCast, this particular moon cycle, with its significant aspects to the era-changing Uranus/Pluto square and the superior conjunction of the Sun/Mercury cycle, could mark some kind of important turning point in each of our lives. Now is the time to assess where the seeds of changes are taking root. What is being manifest that is significantly different from what has been before? How are we managing to keep the balance in the face of daily disruptions in our world? The opposition of the Sun to the Moon gives us a mirror to the polarity that exists in our lives on various levels. Dealt with unconsciously it could manifest as a tug-of-war between sides that don’t seem to have a way of integrating. We may feel forced to choose sides, or simply act out in rebellion against one of them. Approaching this point from a higher perspective, we would be more inclined to look for how the bridge between the two could be built. With the Libra/Aries duality, we’re jostling between the archetypes of the emerging collective and the emerging individual. In Libra, says Dane Rudhyar, the Godfather of humanistic astrology, “the creative ego expresses itself as a participant in the greater Whole that is a culture, a style, a common work. Here one contributes a stone or a pillar, a rose window or a fresco to the Cathedral of Humanity. Here, the individual ego and soul are extended into the new dimension: the Oversoul. Here every leaf and branch of the plant of Humanity finds itself integrated in the seed of universal Humanity – ready for some ultimate sacrifice that is dimly envisioned, though not clearly apprehended.” Looking across the great divide is Aries, living the dream of freedom, independence, answering to no one. Says Rudhyar: “Aries is the typical pioneer; the plougher of virgin lands, who moves ceaselessly ‘westward’; the eternal gypsy who ‘reads fortunes’ but can never gather a fortune, for he is always moving on to greener pastures. He may long for rest and stability, yet the nomadic urge is ever revived and he seems never so happy and free as when he leaves a place and faces the unfamiliar.” A good exercise would be to observe which archetype we identify with most. Which side do we take more often than not and where would our lives improve if we adopt the approach of the other side for a change? Then envision how we can acknowledge and assimilate the positive aspects of each in our daily lives.
On October 12th, Mercury at 28° Libra trines Neptune at 28° Aquarius and brings out the poet in all of us. Imaginative expression could lift the mundane to the sublime. Attuning to the thoughts of others may come easily if we are willing to turn off the external noise and simply listen. While it is always advisable to keep our verbal and mental filters clear of negative debris, not doing so now could lead to overly idealized proclamations that avoid the reality of a situation and may make others feel less-than and impel them to retreat from rather than reach for the stars. This is an ideal time to practice intuitive mind melding, with our own interior being or with another, to have a potentially mind-blowing experience. As the Sun sets this day, the Moon moves from cardinal Aries into fixed Taurus. Now the universal playing field is balanced between the cardinal and fixed signs adding more stability to projects, but without the energy of mutability there is the notion that perhaps the end is not yet in sight.
On October 13th, Mercury bids adieu to Libra and joins Venus in Scorpio. The balance is now tipping to the fixed signs giving us strength to sustain the long stretch through our current affairs. Other than the Moon slipping in and out of mutable signs, the first sense of planetary mutability we’ll see will be on November 2 when Venus and Mercury enter Sagittarius. Then we’ll regain a sense of being able to adapt to the environment around us. With perceptive Mercury in Scorpio, the natural home of the spy, we may find ourselves delving into our deep dark secrets to discover what makes us tick. Scorpio loves playing in hidden realms where nothing is taboo. Mercury is happy to take off Libra’s white gloves so he can jump right into Scorpio’s messy, passionate arena where intrigue occupies thoughts and where getting to the bottom of the matter is paramount to harnessing the deepest source of its power. We could emulate the likes of Mahatma Gandhi, Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt, who all had Mercury in Scorpio, by tapping into the subconscious of those around us and voice what they are only vaguely thinking. It is the power of profound articulation. A few hours later the willful Sun conjuncts disciplined Saturn at 20° Libra, what Rudhyar calls the sign of Initiation. Feeling the need to consecrate our efforts to the greater whole, we may act with unwavering determination to see that fairness in societal structures prevails and tap our long-term alliances for help in furthering this goal. While the Sun’s creative impulse may feel inhibited by Saturn’s serious nature, both together have the potential for the slow and steady engineering of tomorrow’s promise. Before the day is over, Mercury at 1° Scorpio trines Chiron at 1° Pisces. Close on the heels of Venus’ walk with the Wounded Healer, Mercury may want to talk about whatever feelings may be bubbling up with respect to our relationships. Intuition and occult healing skills may surface and be utilized to further understanding and forgiveness.
On October 14th, loving Venus opposes retrograde Jupiter at 7° Scorpio/Taurus. This is the opposite of the same aspect of June 6, 2006, when Venus at 10° Taurus opposed Jupiter at 10° Scorpio. What has changed since then? Is anything from that time coming back up again? Remembering to take in the big cyclical picture in astrology can help us to become aware of and better understand the rhythms and patterns of our lives. How about May 10, 2011 when Venus was conjunct Jupiter at 24° Aries? That was the “New Moon” phase to this opposition’s “Full Moon” phase. Ready or not, it’s prime time! While we may have an insatiable appetite for love and see any current love interest as bigger than life, this aspect potentially can deepen relationships of any type, activate generosity with regards to resources of all kinds, or remind us that a healthy sense of our own self worth can greatly aid in bringing those relationships into balance. In that Venus is only the first of three personal planets to oppose the philosophical giant this month, followed by Mercury on the 17th and then the Sun on the 28th (to be covered more in depth in the next AstroCast), Jupiter’s ebullience and inherent need to expand beyond our perceived limits will be pervasive for the rest of the month in all forms of expression.
When Mercury opposes retrograde Jupiter at 6° Scorpio/Taurus on October 17th we may be inspired to paint verbal pictures of distant lands we find our minds traveling to. As our mental intrigues go into hyper-drive, Scorpio will take it deep while Taurus will keep it relevant, however sketchy or exaggerated the details may be. We would do well to have our research handy to back up big statements or at least the benefit of experience. If we do, the energy of the fixed signs will imprint that which we express with long-lasting impressions. As with Venus, this is the “Full Moon” phase to the Mercury/Jupiter conjunction, which was the “New Moon” phase that happened on May 11, 2011 at 24° Aries when they were together with Venus. From action oriented Aries to the feeling nature of Scorpio and down-to-earth Taurus, our faithful minds can now turn to deepening and sustaining that which we started at that time.
On October 21st, the creative Sun at 28° Libra trines intuitive Neptune 28° Aquarius. The highest form of art, love, music, poetry and spiritual healing all come from some place other than our minds and this aspect can take us there. It is the perfect antidote to boxed-in thinking and provides a sweet respite, a time to inspire, to attune to the higher vibrations of our soul. This is such a blissful, romantic aspect we may need to put some effort into expressing that which we are feeling. If we could but open the doors of our mind and let all boundaries dissolve we just might touch on the brilliant and transcendent repository of all life’s creative inspiration. This is the last major event until the Sun joins Mercury and Venus in Scorpio on October 23rd.
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