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SKYWATCH FOR OCTOBER 2008
Pluto entered the sign of Capricorn earlier this year – a major event that brought about a complete shift in the attitude of humans around the world. From the expansive excesses of the Pluto in Sagittarius era (1995 – 2008) we now find ourselves in a new and more contracted world. Capricorn is the sign of the reality check; it rules success and achievement and therefore has a tendency to be serious and can be negative, especially in reaction to a frivolous lack of responsibility such as we have seen during the end of the Pluto in Sagittarius era. Read more about Pluto’s travel through Capricorn here (I’ll be updating this article over the next week or two). Pluto retrograded back through Sagittarius back in April, and it seemed as though the good times might be back. If you didn’t understand the astrological cycles, that is. The rest of us knew that when Pluto turned direct (as it did in September) and moved back towards Capricorn we would all be getting back to business. Pluto won’t actually re-enter Capricorn until December and then we will feel the real shift occur. Pluto cycles are difficult only when things are out of balance; it’s then that Pluto uses its muscle to make adjustments where necessary. We can prepare for this by becoming more realistic and avoiding behavior that is irresponsible. If we use good judgment, discipline and hard work, all good Capricorn traits, this can be a period of great rewards. As October begins we are still in a shortage of the fire element and Mercury is retrograde, two factors that can make it difficult to accomplish anything. Mercury will remain retrograde until October 15, and this is a great time for planning and re-evaluating plans and goals, but it’s not the best time to implement them. (Just tell the US Congress which is back at the drawing board trying to figure out a way to outsmart Pluto’s effect in the financial markets.) Physical energy may be low as well, since fire provides our drive and energy. This will be alleviated somewhat on October 2nd when Mars forms a sextile (harmonious aspect) to Pluto, helping us to focus and intensify (Pluto) that physical energy and drive (Mars) in more effective ways. That intensification continues on October 4 when Mars enters Pluto’s sign of Scorpio. Mars was the ancient ruler of Scorpio before Pluto was discovered, and the two planets are still considered co-rulers. The Mars rulership describes the fiery nature of Scorpio – it’s an emotional fire that burns deep and requires great courage in order to face the depths that lie within us. With Mars in Scorpio (until mid-November) expect to see more emotional intensity and passion behind all of our actions. A trine of Mercury (thoughts) to Chiron (healing), also on the 4th, reveals an opportunity for a day before and after the 4th to heal some of this intensity and bring greater wisdom. This overlaps with a sextile from Venus to Jupiter on the 5th, expanding (Jupiter) our ability to express our affection and sociability (Venus), making this a lovely time to get together with friends. There is a tendency to be somewhat self-indulgent here that will be emphasized on the 6th when Mercury conflicts with Jupiter and brings about the potential for arguments. These events each last no more than a day or two and their overlapping influence may create some confusion. One day things are rosy (Venus/Jupiter and then Venus sextile Saturn on the 7th), and the next day there are arguments (Mercury/Jupiter followed by Venus square Chiron on the 7th). The square of Venus to Chiron will force us to confront areas of hurt, which can manifest either in ourselves or others in our life. This is exacerbated by a quincunx (150 degree) aspect from Saturn to Chiron which is like a stone in our shoe – not extremely difficult but just annoying enough so that we don’t feel quite comfortable in our skin. This aspect begins to form at the beginning of October but doesn’t culminate until the 8th . Venus continues to be quite busy over the next few days, forming a trine to Uranus (innovation) which opens the doorway to new ways of experiencing relationships and potentially bringing interesting and exciting new people into our life. The following day a square from Neptune (illusion) suggests that while we are exceptionally creative now, we may not be as realistic as we should be. The Full Moon on October 14th occurs at 4:03 pm with the Moon at 22 degrees Aries opposing the Libra Sun. Under the influence of the Full Moon, the Aries influence of the Moon supersedes the solar power of Libra and injects a note of individuality and primacy of one’s own needs (Aries) over the desire for harmony that Libra prefers. The Moon is exactly sextile Neptune here, facilitating creativity and a spiritual understanding of the Aries need for courage and adventure. Aries is simple in nature – enthusiastic and courageous, though impatient. The Neptune influence is a softening factor that adds a note of compassion and intuition to the boldness of Aries. A trine of Saturn (form and structure) from Jupiter (expansive optimism) provides a methodology to achieve our goals and take advantage of new opportunities. Mercury turns direct on October 15th at 4:06 pm. Time to move forward with those plans and new ideas! Venus enters Sagittarius on October 18 after a month or so in Scorpio, bringing a new lightness to our interactions and a renewed interest in social activities. The Sun will enter Scorpio on the 22nd and despite the newly jovial good humor of Venus we find ourselves exploring with more interest the darker sides of our nature and that of the world in general. Scorpio is concerned with issues of power and passion, and adding a fiery note to our everyday life. Chiron has been virtually at a standstill since August, conjuncting the North Node and holding our feet to the fire as we release the wounds of our past in order to gain in wisdom and true knowledge. Chiron turns direct on October 25 and the accumulated understanding we’ve gained over the past month or so will have an opportunity for release now. On October 26 Mercury forms the third phase of a trine to Chiron and a square to Jupiter. Combinations of challenging aspects such as the square and harmonious aspects like the trine can be the most powerful, because the challenging aspects creates conflict followed by resolution and the harmonious aspect facilitates the resolution. This is when real change can happen. For a few days there is a unique opportunity to engage in active debate (Mercury/Jupiter) that facilitates real understanding (Mercury/Saturn), followed by a square from Mars to Chiron and sextile from Mars to Jupiter on the 27th. Here we have Mars acting as a trigger for Chiron’s surgical knife, accompanied by a positive flow of energy (Mars/Jupiter) and a desire (Mars) to learn about the world views of others (Jupiter). It’s unfortunate that the Presidential debate wasn’t scheduled for this period! The New Moon occurs on October 28 at 7:15 pm, with the Sun and Moon aligned at 5 degrees Scorpio. Scorpio is intensely emotional and private, and this New Moon offers an opportunity to begin to really plumb the depths of our own emotional natures and find our source of empowerment. What is it we are truly feeling? What motivates us below the surface? Where do we lose power and how can we regain it? Where have we misused our power? These are Scorpio issues, best handled in the privacy of our own soul. The upcoming opposition from Saturn to Uranus which will culminate on November 4 is a part of the lunation, and suggests a pull between that which feels safe (Saturn) and that which is new and untested (Uranus). Uranus seeks to impel change in order to create a world with greater authenticity and freedom, and this New Moon provides a chance to strip away the fluff and nonsense of our life (Scorpio), leaving only that which is real and allows us to thrive and continue to grow. This opposition of Saturn to Uranus is the first of an astonishing five contacts that will occur between now and 2010. I’ll be posting an article on this cycle over the next week or two, but this tug-of-war between the established order of Saturn and Uranus’s craving for freedom and authenticity will be one of the highlights for the next two years. The trine from Mercury to Neptune on October 30th will open up our minds (Mercury) to the wisdom of Infinite Mind (Neptune) and help us to understand our lives with a broader perspective that enables us to continually evolve and grow. This
is an incredible time – it’s not always easy to follow
a path of wisdom, but the rewards are beyond what we can imagine! |
10/2
Mars sextile Pluto