All Times Pacific: Astrology Report Oct 9–16
Friends, we have before us a rather challenging week. Saturday’s Pluto stationary direct remains a powerful presence throughout October. With Saturn nearly stationary all sorts of bad habits can flare up, including criticism of others and self. As Manly Hall said, “You can find out how you are wasting energy. You can find out that every destructive thought and emotion is a waste. That every unkind word is a waste because it is producing nothing. What tears down does no good. We like to think of course that we must be critics. That we must constantly pass judgement on things. This is not true.” The challenges that Saturn and Pluto will bring this month won’t be surprises, but they may reach a new level of intensity.
Today at 1:55 PM the moon is full at 16 degrees of Aries. Will we be energized or argumentative? Get a fresh start but take it easy, with all this Pluto and Saturn it’s difficult to get things to go smoothly. Progress will probably require determination but also sensitivity to context and awareness that our assumptions may be wrong. Meditation, learning, healing and work requiring attention to detail are favored.
Mon Oct 10 Venus opposes Chiron in the early morning then Mercury leaves Virgo for Libra at 4:51. The first can indicate a crisis in health collectively and individually. Collectively, Venus rules social interaction and entertainment events. Resuming many activities has so far avoided earlier consequences. But warnings from the UK and Europe about new variants suggest these Saturn and Pluto stations could indicate a turn for the worse. We will have a better idea of where we stand in late October and early November. Taking precautions is advised. Saturn and Pluto have a way of tripping up the overly optimistic.
Whatever reality hands you now pay close attention, and where possible counterbalance. For example, Ficino used to say Jupiter was the cure for too much Saturn. So we make the conscious choice to be optimistic, generous, jovial in the face of crisis. How to counter Pluto? Catharsis. Tranquility. Meditation. Reform. Repair. We may become so frustrated we want to force our way, but usually that will lead to unnecessary suffering. Mercury leaving fussy Virgo for romantic Libra brings diplomacy and partnership back to the forefront of communication and commerce. Even deals that went south may be revived.
Tue Oct 11 sun inconjunct Uranus is exact in the early morning. This could indicate more news about collective health, most likely a surprise. With Mars square Neptune the same day, an aspect we have seen coincide with pandemic surges and mutations these past two years, this will be a crucial moment perhaps indicating what to expect next. Sun trine Saturn is exact in the early evening making it a little easier to get organized or to get some rest. Mars square Neptune is exact in the late evening. Exhaustion even illness caused by chronic anger or frustration. The fog of war, libido or ambition driven by or driving delusion or confusion or misinformation. The desire for intoxication, especially for men, may be very strong. Again with Saturn and Pluto stationary over-doing may have have more drastic consequences than usual for some. Most risk takers will likely emerge unscathed, but it’s still worthwhile to take precautions to avoid becoming a statistic, especially if adverse Saturn, Pluto, or Neptune transits currently afflict your chart. Remember what Laozi (Lao Tzu) wrote, “Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them — that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.”
Wed Oct 12 Mercury opposition Jupiter is exact, an unusually long aspect this time due to Mercury’s recent stationary direct. We want to get on with it. We want to have some good times, some success, but we can mislead ourselves with false optimism. This aspect can also indicate the sort of behavior that demonizes success and then leaves people complaining about their lack of it. However, there is the chance of unexpected agreements that improve our lives. Hard to believe with so much Saturn and Pluto active this month. A good quote for October from James Baldwin: “Not everything that can be faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”
Thu Oct 13 Venus inconjunct Uranus is exact in the late morning and Venus trine Saturn in the late evening. Inconjunctions are often connected with health problems and we’ve got a few of them this week, suggesting once again that this week could be a pivotal moment in the pandemic narrative. All this socializing, and these weather and war disaster areas, may be incubating a new variation, or one of the many variations quietly circulating may emerge. There may be a strong desire for sudden romance, or a spontaneous fun outing, but take care, this can be an accident prone aspect. Romance and the arts may suffer unexpected surprises that may or may not be welcome. Perhaps explore how to update your relationships to matters ruled by Venus, but with moderation.
Fri Oct 14 and Sat Oct 15 only lunar aspects are exact. This is not an easy week for finding a rhythm, but it can be done. As Helena Blavatsky wrote, “To act wisely when the time for action comes, to wait patiently when it is time for repose, put man in accord with the tides. Ignorance of this law results in periods of unreasoning enthusiasm on the one hand, and depression on the other.”
Sun Oct 16 sun inconjunct Neptune is exact in the early morning. Yes another inconjunction, and with Neptune we may have mutation or spread. Another aspect that is not good for intoxication, so perhaps practice a little moderation this weekend if you partake. We’re liable to be deluded or confused so take extra care in commute and communication. Those who have been sleeping badly may find themselves especially exhausted.
Saturn will be stationary direct Oct 22. As the spotlight slowly turns from Pluto to Saturn that drive to do something, to do anything, to find relief from the daily grind of life in a world of impermanence, Saturn will replace with exhaustion, limitations, obstacles, but also opportunities for simplifying and for learning and teaching. Saturn square Uranus is very nearly exact this month, calling back to last year. So we have the spectacle of the Federalist Supreme Court negating Roe v Wade on the one hand, while efforts to decriminalize cannabis at the federal level are gaining traction. Energy supply chain issues caused by war create shortages and destabilize the world economy but on the other hand they make a more immediate commitment to green energy. In the meantime how are our own lives going? Can we find the balance between these two quotes. Thoreau wrote: “Our life is frittered away by detail…simplify, simplify.” This quote is attributed to Dante: “The hottest places in Hell are reserved for those who, in a period of moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.” We must find room for both.
In our own lives Saturn square Uranus represents a sea change. The world we knew is rapidly fading. The generations who grew up to the sound of guitars, stashing their weed for fear that the cops would find it, find themselves in a new world as the 21st century’s own zeitgeist begins to take shape. The collective is changing rapidly. The conflict between past and future is red hot. It is being fought in the Ukraine, in Iran, in Italy, in our politics, and in our economies. Today’s extremes are building tomorrow’s society, but not in the way they think. The kids are watching all this chaos, and those born with Pluto in Sagittarius (about 14 to 26) and those born with Pluto in Capricorn (14 and under) will learn from our mistakes even if we do not. In our own lives its important to focus on the places where our futures are leading us. Don’t let traditional predicaments get in the way of unexpected opportunities. Who is the 21st century you? What else would you like to do?
