October is looking to be quite an active month astrologically, so why not start a little forecast series to break it all down?
We start off the spooky season with an astonishing six planets in retrograde (Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto). The outer planets (Jupiter on out) tend to stay retrograde for about half of the year, so their energies are not nearly as jarring or noticeable as the inner planets' retrogrades tend to be. Still, their backwards motion lining up is quite a unique event, bringing up themes of questioning the collective future and the societal systems we have in place.
Also coming up in October is an Aries Full Moon, a shift from Libra into Scorpio season, and a Partial Solar Eclipse in Scorpio. To wrap up the month, we see Mars stationing retrograde in Gemini until mid-January of next year.
As with most forecasts, these are the energies affecting the collective as a whole. For a more personalized forecast, check out what houses these signs fall under in your personal birth chart! These are the areas of your life that will be "lit up" by these transiting planets.
Oct. 2nd - Mercury in Virgo Stations Direct
The Mercury retrograde that started on September 10th finally comes to a close, making its move forward again. It will take a couple weeks to get back up to speed, but any forgetfulness, tongue-tripping, or thoughtless words we may have experienced over the last few weeks is beginning to alleviate. While Mercury does start that move today toward some much-needed clarity, things may still feel confusing or "fuzzy" as this station is opposing Neptune Rx in Pisces. Allow for a few more days of cloudiness, and perhaps turn any need to express what's on your mind to a more creative medium, like putting together a playlist of songs that match your mood.
Oct. 8th - Pluto in Capricorn Stations Direct
While Pluto has been retrograde since April 30th of this year, it has brought about themes of power and control - who has it, who doesn't, and the desire to constantly "burn it all to the ground and start over." If we have felt powerless or invalidated in our authority and made any changes in our lives over the last five months, we may begin see some progress in our newfound direction. This theme of transformation and rebirth is backed up by a trine with note-taker Mercury in Virgo, lending the facts (and checklists) we may need to rebuild.
Oct. 9th - Full Moon in Aries
This Aries full moon is lighting a fire under our collective butts! If you have anything you've been meaning to accomplish or nudge into completion, Aries' drive is happy to help. However, the moon is also illuminating some personal sore spots with this full moon conjunct Chiron. We may find some motivation, even impatience to "get over" some personal wounding, or we may have some newfound energy to pursue a goal only to become irritated and hindered by some troublesome past trauma. Regardless, this Full Moon has the capacity to show us that while healing may take more time than we like, our wounds don't have to leave us helpless.
Oct. 10th - Mercury ingresses into Libra
Mercury moves from meticulous Virgo into diplomatic Libra today. We may find our communications erring toward entertaining others with a good story, being the mediator between warring parties, or acting as a soundboard to a friend or loved one's woes. Be aware of telling little white lies if it means avoiding conflict in the now (it can breed resentment later), or letting your thoughts and opinions upset the wrong people.
Oct. 17th - Sun and Venus in Libra Trine Mars in Gemini
The party in Libra continues with the Sun and Venus in mid to late degrees. The Sun conjunct Venus shines a spotlight on what and how we love, doubly so in Venus-ruled Libra. This combo brings the ideas of looking and feeling good to the surface, so we might feel inclined to treat ourselves and those we care about to a nice date out. With Mars in Gemini, this creates a harmonious trine that emphasizes romantic and close relationships. There is a balanced giving and receiving energy, possibly in witty, tit-for-tat dialogue and exciting new endeavors to pursue. Perhaps a good day to visit a pumpkin farm or cider mill and enjoy some good conversation over hot cider and doughnuts!
Oct. 22nd - Saturn in Aquarius Stations Direct
Saturn went retrograde in early June, and since then we may have felt a tightening of sorts - particularly in our communities and society as a whole. Whether that be due to finances, relationships, inventory, or travel, I think we can all agree that things have felt particularly taut this past year. Now begins Saturn's slooow release of that tension as it begins to move forward and further away from the Earth. This release may come with an unexpected snap from Uranus, who loves throwing a curveball just to see what happens.
Oct. 23rd - Sun and Venus ingress into Scorpio
The Sun and Venus continue traveling hand-in-hand from refined Libra into intense Scorpio. Rather than seeking harmony in all things, Venus now dons a much slinkier number. She's more interested in what feels intensely pleasurable, and giving every last ounce of her being into what she's obsessing over this month. Feel free to hone in on what weird and wonderful thing you adore and know it from the inside out. However, be warned: going all in may bring up some long-buried insecurities, particularly regarding appearance and self-worth. We may feel extra sensitive about ourselves around this time, as if the Sun is putting us in the spotlight and every flaw and secret is visible. If you are of the witchy or magical practitioner persuasion, this could be an excellent time to work some glamour magic! Regardless, perhaps there is a lesson to be learned by Venus’ foray into totally authentic beauty.
Oct. 25th - Partial Solar Eclipse in Scorpio
Eclipse season kicks off with matching themes of growth and transformation from our last set of eclipses in April and May. This time however, this partial solar eclipse in Scorpio is conjunct Venus! This event presents a new, exciting karmic "puzzle piece" of awareness, asking us to "level up" how we show our passions. Perhaps our relationships have felt stuck in a rut, or gotten a little too comfortable when there is in fact leagues more to dive into. This is an excellent time to renew any feelings regarding our romantic or close personal relationships, as well as fall deeper in love with things we are passionate about.
Oct. 27th - Jupiter Rx ingresses into Pisces
Jupiter dipped into Pisces from May 14th to July 28th of 2021 before retrograding back into Aquarius for the rest of the year - and then traveled forward through Pisces again for the first half of 2022. We may feel similar energies again now. Jupiter in one of its home signs of Pisces has the capacity to bring truly boundless creativity, inspiration, and wisdom. We may feel spiritually “in tune,” perhaps able to move on and heal from any scuffles Jupiter may have encountered during its stint in Aries this year. However, as the planet of growth and expansion, that growth goes for the bad stuff, too. Jupiter in Pisces can cause us to feel overwhelmed or confused, pulled in too many directions without boundaries to rein us in.
Oct. 29th - Mercury ingresses into Scorpio
Communications and idea exchanges take on a deeper, more intimate turn. We may find secrets coming to light around this time, or feel inclined toward long, deep conversations. This energy seeks to skip the small talk and go right into deeper meaning and merging with others. We may also find this time easier to talk about difficult topics such as death or shadow work, taking steps toward personal transformation.
Oct. 30th - Mars in Gemini Stations Retrograde
We may find we have difficulty reining in our temper and impulsivity as Mars starts its retrograde motion at the end of the month. Rather than act on every fleeting urge to go-go-go and "do the Thing," Mars retrograde asks us to review how you express your power, as well as how you spend your energy. Running at full-speed can be helpful come crunch-time, but it is not a sustainable way to survive. Slow down. Don't let the coming holidays burn you out. This retrograde will last until around Friday the 13th (spooky!) in January 2023.
And that's the gist of the month! As is usually the case when we move into October, the changing seasons become more apparent, and we approach peak Autumn at 15° Scorpio (which coincides with when we celebrate Halloween, Samhain, All Saint's/Souls Day, Dia de los Muertos, etc.)! Whatever your practice, however you celebrate this time of year, look forward to the familiar Scorpio vibes teaching us about the excitement of the unknown!
You can catch me celebrating at SamhainFest this year on Saturday, October 15th, hosted by the lovely folks at The Gypsy Haven in Elgin, IL! I will be there doing personal astrology readings, or feel free to just swing by and chat! More details on the event, other readers, and the local artists and vendors coming to join us at https://thegypsyhaven.com/!