AstroCast: October 5 - 21, 2012

**Times where noted are Pacific Daylight Time; degrees where noted are rounded to the nearest whole degree.

On October 5th, Mercury rendezvous’ with Saturn in the last degree of Libra before they jump overboard from Libra’s love boat into the deep shadowy waters of Scorpio.  Mercury enhances Saturn’s denouement in the sign of relationships with one last look at the essential connections we’ve made during Saturn’s two and a half year sojourn there and gives us the ability to cap that which we have learned with a mental discipline to ensure the new found knowledge is exercised going forward.  Saturn in Libra brought attention to Society’s rules and its intent to establish a sense of fairness and grace in our dealings with others.  While fear of inadequacy in the face of those rules, or of losing our individuality, may make us rebel against anything perceived as a rebuke or restriction on our way of being out in the world, ultimately everyone wins when thoughtful choices that support harmony are made, and the individuals making those kinds of choices are leaders with a true voice of authority.

This is exactly what we’ll need when Mercury and Saturn move into Scorpio in the afternoon of October 5th.  While this pair together exudes the highest of mental efficiency, they can be ruthless in Scorpio’s untrusting waters and may create a sense of depression if cynicism is allowed to creep in or the focus of our attention isn’t allowed outside the dry realms of the intellect.  Mercury in Scorpio is the interrogator but rather than going for sensational exposés, if we turn that Sherlock onto our own psyches, imagine what treasures we’ll discover, or old garbage that needs taking out!  Saturn in Scorpio has two choices: be incredibly fearful of the immensity and horror of everything happening around him not the least of which is the earth hurtling through space dodging giant asteroid missiles as the universe continues to expand exponentially on its way to a colossal explosion that will obliterate all life. Or, Saturn can harness the raw power inherent in all that and be the master in core life or death issues.  To do that, however, requires Saturn’s willingness to become profoundly engaged with life itself.  He must understand the psyche, of himself and others, in order to recognize how true power works.  It is not being able to control a situation that matters; it is the ability to navigate the uncontrollable.

With four planets changing signs within the space of a few days the energy transfer will be palpable, signaling a dramatic shift in a broad range of perspectives.  The ingress of Venus into Virgo kicked it off a few days ago and now Mercury, Saturn and Mars move into new zodiacal spaces that are in essence a beautiful response to, or a natural antidote, to their predecessors.  As discussed in the last AstroCast, Venus goes from strutting her stuff in proud Leo to experiencing what it is like to be humble and modest in Virgo.  Mercury kept the peace in Libra but loves to dig up the dirt in Scorpio.  Saturn in Libra set the rules in relationships but in Scorpio will want to wield the power over them.  Mars’ primal strongman in Scorpio gets a cause in Sagittarius.

As each of these planets change signs they have to answer to Neptune keeping the gate of transcendence at the first degree of Pisces.  Once on the other side, an oceanic experience of unbounded spiritual communion awaits.  Mercury is first up as he trines Neptune in the afternoon of October 5th and gets an infusion of cultured intuition.  If ever you wanted to mind meld with someone this is the time to do it.  Or pick up the poet’s pen and let your imagination soar.   We may need to call on nearby Saturn’s discipline to put pen to paper or one’s voice to another’s ear.  With a laid-back trine, the lack of motivation to share the sensitive expressions going on in our minds could render them mute.

As if knowing too much Scorpio right now would tip the scales of intensity further than we could possibly handle, on October 6th Mars slips out of his Scorpionic near death experience and into the light of Sagittarius understanding.  Mars here has the courage and drive to go to the ends of the earth and out into the stratosphere to experience all that life has to offer.  Going for an ever-expanded awareness, his challenge is to make sense of it all, to find out what is important and to set goals that serve the collective rather than just himself.

On October 7th, Mars squares Neptune at 1 degree Sagittarius/Pisces putting his ability to self-assert to the test.  He could find himself in one of those dreams where no matter how hard he tries to move he just can’t put one foot forward; no matter if every muscle in his body is attempting to claim new space, he is thwarted by an invisible force that holds him back.  That force is the omnipresent Neptunian energy of consciousness insisting that all intent to be aligned with It.  Once the ascent of desire meets the descent of enlightenment, magic happens!

During this period, a series of trines offers a welcome relief from the super-charged atmosphere created over the last couple of weeks by the more challenging aspects to the Uranus/Pluto square by Mercury, the Sun and Moon.  After all that friction, a little inter planetary friendliness is just what we need, as long as they don’t lull us to sleep.  The thing about trines is that the energies take the path of least resistance.  They don’t challenge us like the more fractious aspects do, which actually lead to growth.  Without grains of sand to irritate them, oysters wouldn’t produce pearls.  Diamonds couldn’t form without the intense pressure from the earth’s constant shifting.  The 120-degree trine does signify an alignment of purpose – the aspecting planets are in signs of the same element – air, fire, water or earth – so have a natural affinity.  They just need a little motivation, usually caused by some sort of pressure, to actually produce anything.

Still in tai chi like slow motion after going retrograde last week, Jupiter at 16 degrees Gemini is trined by the Sun at 16 degrees Libra on October 8th.  Hello Sunshine!  This trine between air signs should help lift our spirits and mental outlook.  We may wax philosophical or tell tall tales, or simply walk around with a beaming heart for all to bask in.  A profound, inner confidence yields a more positive approach to life and increases vitality.

Love goes deep on October 9th when Venus at 7 degrees Virgo has a tryst with Pluto at 7 degrees Capricorn.  This trine in earth signs may inspire us beyond the superficial into the more intimate meanings of our closest relationships and in the process breathe new life into them.  This subtle aspect enhances the capacity to love but not everyone will notice its quiet nature.  We must consciously persuade ourselves to allow the regenerative power of love to touch our lives.

Saturn has his moment with Neptune on October 10th when they form a trine at 1 degree Scorpio/Pisces.  This aspect between the slower moving planets has been building for a while and will be in effect for a while longer.  The archetypes of these two planets in a harmonious relationship may give us the combined insights and practical tools we need to manifest our dreams into reality.  If we respond to the demands of both planets we just may experience the best of both worlds: Saturn adds a dose of reality to Neptune’s fantastical imaginings and gives us the ability to discern what will work in a practical sense; Neptune’s other worldly perspective breathes life into matter as it permeates plans and existing structures with an all-embracing holistic vision.

On October 15th Mars at 6 degrees Sagittarius trines Uranus at 6 degrees Aries giving a jump start to the day and to any cause that needs to be put into motion.  Independence is essential with this signature and innovative leadership could emerge.  This energy enriches the Libra New Moon at 5:03 a.m., our annual galactic call to become one with the multiverse in mind, body and soul.  As individual leaders, in ourselves whole human beings, Libra insists that we can still be participants in the successively greater Wholes of marriage, family, neighborhood, groups, businesses, society, nations, ad infinitum.  If cooperation and collectivism is the mainstay of Libra, at a personal level the experience of Soul Mates is its life force.  When two become one, it is the singular embodiment of the complete integration of two human beings.  Libra lives for that, but also for that type of integration to exist at every level of society.

Quality of affection meets quantity on October 16th when Venus at 16 degrees Virgo squares Jupiter at 16 degrees Gemini.  While excess can be a signature of this aspect, can there really be too much love??  When we feel like giving at a 10, the key here can be to use Virgoan discernment to decide where best to cast our pearls.  Why not start with ourselves – because we’re worth it!