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10/1 Mercury sextile Mars
10/4 Full Moon in Aries 2:10 am
   Mercury sextile Mars again
   Mercury opposite Uranus
   Mars trine Uranus
   Ceres square Nodes
10/8 Mercury conjunct Saturn
10/9 Venus opposite Uranus
   Mercury enters Libra
   Mars opposite North Node
10/10 Sun trine Jupiter
   Mercury square Pluto
10/12 Ceres enters Scorpio
   Mars sextile Saturn
10/13 Jupiter turns direct
   Venus conjunct Saturn
   Venus sextile Mars
   10/14 Pluto sextile Ceres
   Venus enters Libra
10/15 Venus square Pluto
10/16 Mars enters Leo
   Sun trine Neptune
10/18 New Moon in Libra 1:33 am
10/20 Mercury trine Jupiter
10/23 Mercury trine Chiron
   Sun enters Scorpio
   Mercury square North Node
10/24 Sun sextile Pluto
   Mercury trine Neptune
10/28 Mercury enters Scorpio
   Venus trine Jupiter
10/29 Sun square Mars
   Saturn enters Libra
10/31 Chiron turns direct
   Sun conjunct Ceres
   Venus trine Chiron

This year's planetary news has been dominated by two big events: the Triple Conjunction of Jupiter, Chiron and Neptune, and the opposition between Saturn and Uranus. Because these five planets have been within a few degrees of each other, those of us who are affected by any of these planets have actually been affected by ALL of them, making this a rather intense experience.

In October the planetary influences lighten up for a month or so, giving us a much needed break before the excitement begins in November as Saturn (restriction and challenge) moves into position to form a challenging square to Pluto (death, rebirth and transformation).

Jupiter has been traveling retrograde since June of this year, and as it begins to move forward again it will realign with Chiron and Neptune towards the end of the year. Jupiter is the planet of opportunity and luck, and when it travels retrograde that luck is harder to spot. Jupiter also encourages our growth and understanding and helps to give our lives meaning, and it will be virtually stationary throughout the month of October as it prepares for its change of direction on the 13th.

There is a lack of fire energy right now; none of the planets are in a fire sign and Mars, the planet of fire, is in watery Cancer until it enters Leo on the 16th. Fire is the element that inspires and motivates us to take action, so without that driving force we tend to be more grounded, more practical and less able to put our plans into motion. This is more of a time of feelings and ideas, and any actions that we take may be slower to manifest than we would like. This is not always a bad thing and may mean that there is more perfection to our actions as they have been motivated by a more thorough thought process.

This perfection is shown by the passage of Venus, Mercury and Saturn all in the sign of Virgo at the beginning of the month. Virgo is the sign of discrimination, it seeks perfection through evaluating all of the options at hand. This triple Virgo influence may have created some frustration over the past few weeks as everything under our consideration needs to be filtered through a sieve of possibilities, but a perfect experience cannot be rushed.

We will get a few days of relief from this painstaking process in the first few days of October beginning on October 1 when Mercury (mental functions and transmission of information) forms a harmonious sextile to Mars which continues over the next few days leading up to the Aries Full Moon on the 4th. This Mercury/Mars dance will light the spark of creative juices and inspirational forces, ready to be unleashed at the Full Moon.

The Full Moon on the 4th is in the sign of Aries, with the Sun in Libra. At the Full Moon the Sun and the Moon are opposite each other in the sky, appearing to be of equal size through the miracle of the mystery of planetary science. Normally the Sun's quality of consciousness and ego overcomes the light of the Moon and subsumes the instinctive emotions, but at the Full Moon the Earth blocks that light and the Moon is revealed in her full glory. Full Moons are times to allow the truth of our inner selves to shine as the Ego takes a back seat for once.

The Aries Full Moon brings the power of fire in its purest form into our consciousness for the few days, as Aries is the sign of courage, self-defense, inspiration, leadership, and dominance. Even the least fiery of us will have access during this Full Moon to the bravery and assertiveness that Aries inspires. That fire energy is made more powerful by the fact that Mercury (the mind) is in harmony with Mars (the ruler of Aries and planet of courage) and opposite Uranus (radical new ideas and change). The mind is extremely active now, ready and willing to take in new data and new information to help inspire change. If you have been feeling blocked and unable to take action, this is your opportunity to break through those barriers. Mars is in a harmonious trine with Uranus, liberating (Uranus) us from any restrictions that keep us from activating our deepest desires (Mars).

Still, Ceres forms a square to the lunar nodes which represent our evolutionary direction, suggesting that we are not attending to the matters of caring for body and soul in a way that is sufficient for our soul's growth. The Full Moon will illuminate any area in our life where this has potential for future problems.

After the Full Moon things settle down for a couple of days, and on the 8th when Mercury conjuncts Saturn we get back down to business. This is a reality check that helps to stabilize us and get our feet back on the ground. It is tempting with a Mercury/Saturn combination to feel some negativity or depression as we feel ourselves being pulled back to earth, but this is all a matter of attitude. Recognizing the need for periods of retraction helps to keep us from allowing frustration to control our experience.

The following day, on the 9th, relationships become more important. Venus opposes Uranus which seeks to breathe new life (Uranus) into our dealings with others (Venus). Uranus seeks to inspire us to break free of restrictions and outmoded patterns that limit our experiences, and when he starts working on our relationships we often try to resist his pressure for change. This can be an exhilarating process, however, if we allow ourselves to recognize that we only need to change the things that aren't working and we can hold onto the rest.

Mercury enters Libra on the 9th as well, so for a few weeks the attention of the mind (Mercury) is turned to matters of balance and harmony (Libra). Mercury in Libra likes to consider all points of view and this therefore is a very beneficial time for negotiations of all kinds. That Uranian influence helps to bring in new ideas that facilitate the processes under consideration.

A conjunction of Mars to the South Node suggests that for a few days our energy and drive (Mars) will be rooted in the past in ways that may not be so helpful for us. The South Node represents the past - traits and characteristics that are familiar but which hold us back. Anger or resentment (Mars) can lurk in the subconscious where it creates negative behavior patterns and with Mars on the South Node now these patterns can become more visible and therefore easier to deal with.

On the 10th we have a combination of a stressful square from Mercury to Pluto, and at the same time the Sun forms a trine to beneficent Jupiter, shining light and warmth on everything we do that day. That Mercury/Pluto combination can signify power struggles and arguments, but it can also provide an opportunity for us to hone our skills and surrender something that we did not realize we were ready to let go of. The Sun's light will help to illuminate these issues and facilitate our liberation (Jupiter).

Ceres enters Scorpio on October 12. In Libra, Ceres has shed light on the necessity to forge alliances in order to nurture and care for the people in our life and enhance our experiences. As Ceres enters Scorpio it will be difficult to treat these alliances superficially. Ceres in Scorpio demands that the Truth be told before dinner is served; there is a necessity to dig deep into the realm of the subconscious and reveal that which is hidden. Ceres will be in Scorpio until December of this year.

Also on the 12th Mars forms a harmonious sextile to Saturn and moving into alignment to sextile Venus as well. With Mars still in Cancer, our drives and needs (Mars) are more emotional than usual and it can be more difficult to express them clearly and directly. These harmonious aspects around the 13th make that much easier.

Jupiter turns direct on October 13th (see introductory paragraphs). Venus is active for a day or two, stimulating interaction between people with a harmonious sextile to Mars, and encouraging more responsibility in relationships with a conjunction to Saturn. That Saturn aspect may create situations where our illusions about people bump up against cold hard reality, although Jupiter is the overpowering influence here as it light shines brighter than ever when it changes direction.

The Venus influence is even stronger on the 14th when it enters Libra, the sign which it rules and which shares its emphasis on peace and harmony. Venus in Libra brings an increased interest in social events and achieving balance in all things. That could be a bit difficult though for a day or two with a square from Venus to Pluto on the 15th that intensifies our relationships and creates the potential for the more negative emotions to arise.

That darkness won't last long though, with a trine of the Sun to Neptune on the 16th which opens the doorway to creativity and an idealistic sense of wonder and connection to spirit. That same day Mars leaves emotional Cancer for the robust sign of Leo, bringing in some positive fire energy.

The New Moon in Libra takes place at 1:33 am Eastern time on October 18, beginning the new lunar cycle seeking the balance and beauty that Libra desires. At its best, Libra would like the world to be filled with beauty and happy people loving each other with perfect balance and harmony. And this New Moon forms a trine to the Chiron/Neptune conjunction, so there is the potential for a cascade of beautiful and soulful healing energy (Chiron/Neptune) that clears the way for the new beginning of the New Moon.

However, the New Moon (the conjunction of the Sun and Moon) forms a square to the lunar nodes, suggesting that we will be tested. How much are you giving up to have peace in your life, and where is better balance needed?

We also see Mars forming a square to Ceres in the lunar chart, pitting the self-oriented aggression of Mars against the urge for nurture and comfort. There is tremendous potential here for healing the past and healing relationships with others, but it is clear that attention must be paid to the Self here as well. Then the power of the New Moon can operate fully and unenumbered to empower and protect.

The mental forces intervene on the 20th when Mercury (mind and intellect) trines Jupiter, expanding the mind and creating awareness of new possibilities. This expansion continues into the 23rd with a trine from Mercury to Chiron. Chiron is the teacher and the healer, and during this time the mind (Mercury) is wide open, ready to receive the lessons that come from the soul. Chiron isn't concerned with worldly matters; instead he teaches the way to reunite with the Spirit within.

That healing process is intensified by the entry of the Sun into Scorpio on the 23rd, beginning the descent into the darkness of winter. A square from Mercury to the North Node suggests that we may encounter some mental resistance to the Chironic process of healing. If this occurs there is likely valuable information that is being presented if we remain aware.

On the 24th two lovely planetary combinations provide ease and respite from all of this process work: the Sun is in a harmonious sextile Pluto, enable us to harness the power and sharp focus of Pluto in a conscious and enlightened manner. At the same time, a trine from Mercury to Neptune facilitates creativity and the imagination as well as our spiritual expression as Neptune opens the higher centers of the mind as ruled by Mercury.

Mercury enters Scorpio on the 28th, at which time there will be three planets in Scorpio (Sun, Ceres and Mercury). Scorpio is the sign associated with darkness as it is ruled by Pluto, the lord of the underworld of the emotional realms. Scorpio fearlessly faces the darkness of our own psyche, and gains strength from Truth.

The Sun is edging towards a conjunction to Ceres over the next few days which will illuminate what is needed in order to feel fully at ease and cared for. A trine of Venus to Jupiter brings optimism and a sense of well-being into all of our interpersonal relationships. These are the two "benefics," and for a day or so when they are in a harmonious balance with each other life is full of beauty and love.

Tension may increase somewhat on the 29th with a square from the Sun to Mars, an aspect which can create restlessness and a desire for change. Saturn enters Libra that same day. Watch for an article to be posted on my website soon about Saturn's entry into Libra, but for the next two and a half years Saturn will turn its attention to the realm of relationships, justice, marriage and beauty.

Chiron changes direction on October 31st, moving forward once again and encouraging progress in the realms of healing and soul retrieval. Chiron is still conjunct Neptune within a couple of degrees and they are still working together to open the portals of our mind so that the essence of who we are can emerge through the clouds of personality and ego.

Venus is in a trine formation to Chiron that day, facilitating the sharing of love and spiritual truth between people, and the culmination of the Sun/Ceres conjunction helps us to see what is really important in our lives, and how we can become truly comfortable in this incarnation as a child of the Earth.

Once Saturn is in Libra it will be in a square to Pluto, and there could be difficult times ahead. October's events will be very helpful in paving the way so that when the challenge comes we will be ready for it.