As we move into winter in the northern hemisphere, the ‘West’ continues to hoist itself on its own petard. The whole world appears to be in uproar thanks to the energy crunch and monetary reset driving the collapse and uprisings. And there is no end in sight. October brings no respite, only more chaos, as the tug of war between centralisation and decentralisation progresses...
In October we move from Libra to Scorpio energy and shift our attention from relationships and values to power games and secrecy and the need for emotional transformation. The month begins with almost all the planets in retrograde motion, although Pluto, Saturn and Mercury are about to go direct. The Sun and Venus start in Libra, retrograde Mercury in Virgo stations direct and joins them in the second week, and Mars is still in Gemini.
The Saturn Uranus square remains close all month, forming an exact alignment by degree from 2–12 October. Uranus is still conjunct the North Node and Saturn squares the nodes, amplifying the energy of the square and creating a lot of tension in the fixed signs. This is amplified further when the Sun, Venus and Mercury enter Scorpio and we return to eclipse season near the end of the month.
Then Mars stations retrograde. 😳
But first, on 2nd October, Mercury stations direct in Virgo tangled up in three T-squares. Mercury opposes Neptune in a T-square with Mars in Gemini, and another with the Moon in Capricorn, making a mutable Grand Square. It’s not a Grand Cross because the Moon doesn’t quite oppose Mars. Meanwhile, the Sun conjunct Venus opposes Jupiter in a T-square with the Moon, and also opposes Chiron. Mercury also trines Uranus and Pluto, while Mars trines Saturn.
With Mercury stationary it could be a while before you can get organised and you may feel stuck and frustrated. Neptune may dissolve some problems and bring inspiration, but also confusion and muddle, and your energy levels could be low. But the trine from Saturn to Mars and the pragmatic Moon promise results if you put the work in.
On the 9th, the Full Moon in Aries sees the Sun conjunct Venus in Libra opposite the Moon conjunct Chiron in Aries. This dynamic lunation carries great potential if you can balance the need for harmony with the need to be yourself. The Sun is in a Grand Trine with Saturn and Mars, which is great for imaginative and creative projects and for smoothing out difficulties in relationships.
On the 22nd, the superior conjunction of the Sun and Venus in Libra becomes exact while trine Mars and square Pluto. This is the peak of the Venus retrograde cycle that started last year and any seeds and intentions you made at the inferior conjunction in January should bear fruit now.
Venus is strong in her own sign and the trine to Mars provides the ability to act on your desires and get results, supported by Saturn’s trine to Mercury. The Moon is opposite Jupiter and Neptune in a T-square with Mars and feeling restless and inspired by adventure but that hopeful energy is about to change.
On the 25th, the New Moon in Scorpio is a partial solar eclipse conjunct Venus in Scorpio and Mercury in Libra. The Sun, Moon and Mercury are trine Mars and square Pluto, while Venus is just square Pluto. This intense lunation isn’t quite conjunct the South Node so it may or may not trigger losses in the house in which it occurs. You may feel sensitive and emotional, but with Venus in her detriment and the stellium square Pluto, this passionate energy could become compulsive or destructive unless you channel it creatively.
The Mars square to Jupiter and Neptune adds restlessness and a boost of self-confidence and inspiration. But you could also have unrealistic expectations or go running after the wrong things. Mercury can help you to be more reasonable and the trine from Saturn to Mercury gives form to your best ideas. However, Mars is slowing down and about to go retrograde, so anything you start now might need to be revisited in a few days or weeks.
The Mars retrograde cycle actually begins with Mars trine the Sun in Libra on 17th October. This is a moment of great forward motion and productive action when Mars is in a Grand Trine with Saturn and the Sun conjunct Venus. However, when Mars stations retrograde anything achieved since this time may have to be rethought and reassessed.
On the 30th, Mars stations retrograde in Gemini while square Jupiter and Neptune, and trine Mercury in Scorpio. The Sun is in a stellium with Mercury, Venus and the South Node, although Mercury isn’t conjunct the node directly. This moment may bring a few surprises or a sudden drop in energy, and the proximity of the Sun and Venus to the South Node could bring losses or reversals in the Scorpio area of your chart. The Saturn Uranus square is also being triggered so you may discover exactly which areas of your life need to be changed.
Mars remains retrograde for the rest of the year and reaches the halfway point in the cycle at his opposition to the Sun in December. He stations direct in January 2023. More on that here.
Here’s a breakdown of the month by date:
1 Oct – Venus opposite Jupiter
2 Oct – Mercury stations direct at 24° Virgo
7 Oct – Mercury trine Pluto, Sun opposite Chiron
8 Oct – Pluto stations direct at 26° Capricorn
9 Oct – Full Moon at 16° Aries
10 Oct – Venus opposite Chiron, Mercury enters Libra
12 Oct – Sun trine Saturn, Mars square Neptune, Mercury opposite Jupiter
14 Oct – Venus trine Saturn
17 Oct – Sun trine Mars
19 Oct – Venus trine Mars, Sun square Pluto
20 Oct – Mercury opposite Chiron, Venus square Pluto
22 Oct – Sun conjunct Venus at 28° Libra – superior conjunction
23 Oct – Mercury trine Saturn, Saturn stations direct at 18° Aquarius, Venus enters Scorpio, Sun enters Scorpio
25 Oct – New Moon at 2° Scorpio – partial solar eclipse
27 Oct – Mercury trine Mars, Mercury square Pluto
28 Oct – Jupiter retrograde enters Pisces
29 Oct – Mercury enters Scorpio
30 Oct – Mars stations retrograde at 25° Gemini
Note: these dates are for GMT/UT. Check the details for your time zone at Astro-Seek where you can also look at the charts for all the alignments.
The new edition of the Astro Journal for 2023 is currently in production and should be available on Amazon and Payhip early in October. I’m planning to upload the files after Mercury stations direct at the start of the month so it should be available shortly after that. The paperback may take a little longer, but it all depends on how much disruption we’re dealing with by then. More news as I have it – watch this space!
Read more on the Saturn Uranus square here.