The sign of Virgo is usually painted in pastel hues; as dutiful rather than pro-active. The new Moon in the sign of the Corn Maiden on August 30 suggests otherwise, having set in motion the rapidly evolving events of September, whereby the President of the USA faces impeachment and the UK’s political life has entered a new variety of meltdown. And let’s not forget the unprecedented global demonstrations over climate change. Chalk one up for the Goddess of fertility.
Astrologers have been banging on for some time about the climactic date signified by the meeting of Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn early in 2020. World events seem to be marching in tandem with their calendar. On the 70th anniversary of China’s Communist Republic, Hong Kong just became Robocop. In October the full Moon of the 13th looks a moment of further reckoning, not least for the UK (current transits are all over the UK’s 1801 horoscope). Your astrologer notes that the current regime’s totemic date of 31 October coincides with Mercury’s notoriously annoying retrograde. What can possibly go wrong?
It’s hard to keep up, but for those interested in following political, economic and cultural events through an astrological lens, there are many sites. Your astrologer particularly likes https://star4cast.com/astrology-of-todays-news/ and https://www.oxfordastrologer.com
I have to apologise to readers for the tardy arrival of this forecast, whose writing was interrupted by a memorial service for an astrological colleague and friend, the late Alan Card. For some years Alan has been the resident seer of Brighton and Hove, a man brimming with horoscopes, intuition and bonhomie, a much-loved local celebrity. Alan’s memorial service was on his birthday, September 30, and included laying an elegant Venusian wreath of the Libra glyph at the feet of The Angel of Peace, an uplifting seafront landmark raised on 10th October 1912. It proved a day of sorrow, joy and magic. Way to go, dude.
- Full Moon in Aries 12 October at 21.08
- Sun into Scorpio 24 October at 17.20
- Scorpio New Moon 28 October at 03.38
- Mercury retrograde 31 October – 21 November in Scorpio
A Balance of Librans
Kate Winslet, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Theresa May, David Cameron, Serena Williams, Roger Moore, Annie Liebovitz, Snoop Dogg, Brigitte Bardot, Philip Pullman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Thom Yorke, Ursula Le Guin, Fela Kuti, Julie Andrews, Vladimir Putin, Olivia Newton-John, John Lennon.
Libra
Take your pleasures where you find them, and with ruler and good fairy Venus in your skies until the 9th, that shouldn’t prove too difficult. Let your legendary charms sparkle. Plus, of course, the birthday Sun is also empowering you until its move into Scorpio on the 24th. Another energising force, Mars, arrives in Libra on October 4 to keep your motors humming all the way to mid-November, and, at best, lending you a sensual, sexy allure (make it so!).
Being an ‘on the other hand’ kind of sign, however, you’ll know that more challenging transits are also in play. Your astrologer has banged on at length about the implications of Saturn (and now Pluto) squaring you (ie at 90 degrees) from Capricorn. Saturn may arrive as a professional advancement or an apparent block on the same, it may be a bricks and mortar issue or a glitch or worse in your love life. In all instances taking more responsibility is usual and the difficult decision is likely to be the right one. Think long term, think where you want to be in a year or so’s time. Keep working. Birthdays on or after October 8 are those most in the frame.
Saturn is also ‘karmic’ in the sense that decisions from the past come back to haunt/reward. Take David Cameron (b. October 9); he became Prime Minister when Saturn was in Libra and has published his memoirs now that Saturn is squaring his Sun. Is he chuffed he’s top of the charts, or disappointed at his less than ecstatic reception? Answers on a postcard to the shepherd’s caravan.
All of which makes October an eventful, perhaps crucial month. The biggest bump in the road arrives with the full Moon of October 13; invariably a dizzy moment, when relations with your other half deserve delicate handling, with Pluto and Mars in the mix adding a streak of ferocity. Libra can favour ‘peace at any price’ but is as often (more often) confrontational – nothing wrong with that, but actions now resonate into the future. Beware the red mists. For much the same reasons (specifically Saturn square Mars) the 28th is another date to circle in red in your diary.
A slew of planets in Scorpio at the end of the month, with a new Moon there on October 28, points you towards financial matters. As Venus is here most of the month, the chance to pull in extra funds is in the air, but with Mercury going retrograde on Halloween, sooner rather than later is the time to seal any deals. March boldly on. Happy Birthday.
Scorpio
October usually means a countdown to your birthday month – beginning on the 24th – with all bets off as you rest, plot and commune with your innermost, hidden self. As much applies this year but with way more concentration on outgoing, extrovert energies. Actually, you might choose to consider the ’Scorpio month’ as extending all the way from early October through to Christmas!
How come? First consider that Mercury, the quicksilver planet of communications, arrives in your skies on October 3 and doesn’t leave until December 8 – that’s nine weeks instead of the usual three, with three weeks of Mercury retrograde in the middle (from 31 October -21 November). That makes October prime time for mental work, for getting your new phone up to speed, and for issuing orders (vital ones, obviously!). Your wheels tend to spin next month.
Next comes Venus, in Scorpio from October 8 to the end of the month, followed by a New Moon on October 28th in Scorpio and by your ruler Mars on November 19 through to new year, this last being a veritable powerhouse transit to consider next month.
In the meantime enjoy Venus and a perfect time to unleash your sultry charms and sensual appetites, to refresh your wardrobe and give yourself a make-over. For those in the dating game the days around the full Moon on the 13th look promising – the wackier the date the better perhaps, a message that may already be chiming with those born at the end of the month. The new Moon of October 28 is precisely opposite Prometheus – planet of sudden ruptures and arrivals – and repeats the message. The surprises don’t have to be relationship-oriented; new interests and unusual fellow travellers are also in the air.
By the end of the month all Scorpios will have had a taste of Venusian nectar before the goddess of love moves on at November 1; looks like one scrumptious Halloween.
Sagittarius
The Centaur is the very image of unconstrained freedom, and while you are subject to the same restraints as most folks – money for one example, an imminent retrograde Mercury for another – you have a promising three months ahead. That is most of all down to Jupiter, your ruling celestial body, in its own skies (yours). As this is a once-in-twelve year cycle, your best, most optimistic efforts are called for.
October’s stars are mostly obliging. Libra is an air sign to fuel your fires, and supplies a following wind through to the arrival of Scorpio on the 24th. Libra further represents your peer group, your crew, the folks with whom you share a sandwich at pressured lunchtime. As team leader (even if they don’t know it), whipping your comrades into go-get mode is in order. The full Moon on October 12/13 is a slightly scary beauty, shining from fiery Aries in your party zone and picking up Mars and Saturn. Nice weekend for socialising, flirting and dancing (even the sternest centaur has an inner prancing pony), keep aggressive folks at arm’s length.
Scorpio – a sign likely to figure in many Sag ‘scopes and signifying your secret self – is meanwhile collecting planets; Mercury from the 3rd, Venus from the 8th, the Sun from the 24th and a new Moon on the 28th. Add to that the Mercury retrograde incoming from Halloween, and some private communion along mind/body/spirit lines is called for. This is something of a wait-and-see time, yet neither Jupiter nor Venus (next month) are keen on hanging around. How you push your agenda forwards in a restrained way is a puzzle you alone can devise, but given that hidden, indecisive Mercury, but keeping some opinions and intentions to yourself – no easy task for the Archer – won’t hurt.
Capricorn
Ouch! After a month of congenial earthy Virgo, the sharper spurs of Libra are kicking in. The new Moon in the Scales on September 28, and the arrival of warrior Mars on October 4 are signals to a move on, especially since a retrograde of Mercury looms in November.
You have, of course, Saturn and Pluto in your sign also urging you onwards to world domination, or at least financial and spiritual survival. Though this pair are sometimes – and sometimes justly – painted as an implacable force, Saturn remains your ruler and its slow but sure, cognisant approach has worked for you so far, so why wouldn’t it continue to do so? As for Pluto, worry about it when and if he comes calling.
Nonetheless, this pair get a sharp nudge at the full Moon of October 13 (Luna opposite Sol conjunct Mars square Saturn/Pluto, fact fans); both a potentially wild weekend and a reality check on the current state of your professional intentions and the financial reality that goes with them. Tough decisions may be called for, though time-frame is over the next few months rather than weeks.
Scorpio’s season should help – the new moon there on October 28 is water for your earth, help from your fellow travellers and, if you are a Christmas born baby, a possible jolt of unexpected romance.
Aquarius
As one famous Aquarian put it, Lively Up Yourself! Winds of change are blowing from your fellow air sign Libra, where a new Moon (September 28) and a keenly edged Mars (from October 4) ask for a more upbeat, front foot approach. Hopefully you can park professional involvements to explore your ever independent streak (often a very wide streak).
Scorpio represents must-do work commitments and hard-nosed choices, but here Venus and a sluggish Mercury (about to go retrograde in November) call for charm and indecision rather than force. See what unfolds after the new Moon of October 28, along with that pesky Mercury.
Mars in Libra, by contrast, stands for impatient exploration, lofty ideas, crossing the Atlantic on a solar-powered yacht, passing judgment in an open, inclusive way (thanks, Aquarian Lady Hale). We are talking two humanitarian signs at work. The Libra lunation (ie new Moon) transits the Urn Bearer’s skies across the 7th/8th/9th optimum days for your agenda (and if you don’t have one, acquire one pronto) before moving onto a lively (slightly scary) full Moon on the 13th. Find a frisky Libran birthday party or two.
There’s a maverick presence in your ‘scope too; Prometheus, much associated by modern astrologers with your sign, is hovering at the root of your ‘scope across winter and is picked out by the new Moon of October 28. For some of you, notably birthdays circa 21-27 January, this could be the start of something big, your own little revolution even…new career, new home, new relationship, new attitude. Uranian events tends to happen swiftly, but you don’t have to rush to judgment. Things will look very different in six months’ time.
Pisces
It is, as the saying goes, a period of transition, or in sporting terms, an interesting passage of play. In some respects you are between times – earthy Virgo just gone, with multiple planets opposing you – and watery Scorpio, whose season begins on October 24th, along with a new Moon on the 28th. More of which shortly.
Meanwhile here’s Libra, a somewhat oblique presence in your ‘scope; rather secretive, rather sexy, rather tied up with financial anxieties, with a potential anxiety point at the full Moon of the 13th. Just before that, of course waxing Luna is beaming from your own skies on the 10th and 11th, a very sweet time for you to be out, about and enjoying the limelight, which comes free.
Also sweet is Venus’s all too brief transit of Scorpio, from October 9 to November 1st. Venus and Pisces are peaches and cream, Venus and Scorpio is chilli con carne with a side order of sex. You get the idea. Together with the potent Scorpio lunation that begins at the new Moon of the 28th, AND the Mercury in Scorpio retrograde from Halloween, you have interesting connections going on. International contacts, education and law bods, and long distance lovers all get a tick, though a cautious one in the last instance. Anyway, with Mercury retrograde next month, terms and conditions are, uh, conditional. See what rolls down the turnpike.
The transits in Scorpio all align with Neptune in your own skies, so moments of enchantment come and go. It’s hard to square as much with your traditional (and more cheery) ruler Jupiter. You have three months more with the presidential planet atop your ‘scope. Swim your way into the echelons of the alleged great and good and find some more limelight.
Aries
Friendship and business often come intertwined but just now are best kept distinct. Professional pressures look weighty and leave little wriggle room, though you can turn the tables if someone has made commitments that they haven’t met, especially if those promises date back to the beginning of the year. As much may also apply to legal matters or tussles over property. Saturn and Pluto are in relentless mood through to the new year, and inching forwards is a better policy than looking for sudden breakthrough.
Your personal life offers a mix of charm and confrontation. Venus remains opposite in Libra until October 9 to supply some head-turning moments and/or a love-in with your main squeeze.
The arrival of your Mars ruler in opposition from October 4 (for a six week stay) further emphasises partnerships, friendships, romances…and enemies. Mars’ energy is brisk, determined and sensual (like Aries!) and individuals with those qualities may well show up to attract or challenge you. You can be relied on to meet any hostility with gusto, but with both Mars and the Sun in contention, opponents may put you on the back foot, calling for tactical acumen rather than blunt confrontation. As much applies especially at the Aries full Moon on October 13; a fine time to show off and celebrate but not for verbal or actual fisticuffs.
Venus in Scorpio, along with the Sun from the 24th, suggests a softer side to one-on-one relationships, along with the possibility of your spouse bringing in money on your behalf. If shared resources are in contention (say with your ex), patience is the order of the day – Mercury goes retrograde in Scorpio at the end of the month, so things may drag on (and on).
Lifting you up, up and away is Jupiter, still in fiery Sagittarius, still smiling despite any inclement weather, still favouring a circumnavigation of the globe, especially if you are a mid-April birthday, and if you can’t manage as much, some long afternoons in the library.
Taurus
Taureans like to talk, which is just as well given that you have nine weeks of Mercury in opposition. This being the planet of communications, it opens the way for full and frank discussions with significant others, whether business or romance is involved. Get matters out in the open and ensure you and the other party are on the same page; why this matters more than usual is that Mercury turns retrograde at the end of the month, after which expect three weeks of ‘Did I really say that?’ to-ing and fro-ing.
Your ruling planet, Venus, in opposition after the 8th holds more promising connotations; peace, love and understanding with your other half or someone with whom you are on the outs, and, if you’re single, a candidate or two (a smouldering Scorpio maybe). It’s a lively time on the relationship front, and the new Moon of October 28, being bang opposite Prometheus in your own skies, should keep things bubbling – in a good way, providing you aren’t complacent about what you have. Don’t take others for granted. Two days with a fat Moon in your skies on the 14th/15th are an opportune moment to keep others on their toes (and vice versa).
Work looks a steadier prospect, with planets highlighting the rewards of diligence and routine (very much your thing), with a possible financial pay-off around the time of the new Moon. The planets in fellow earth sign Capricorn, Saturn and Pluto, that hover somewhat moodily over some other signs, are nicely aligned for Taureans, and while neither hands you a free ticket, detailed exploration of your options promises results.
Gemini
Let’s first accentuate the positive. The Sun in Libra until the 24th puts you on the front foot with all projects and people that are close to your heart, that uplift those around you and get you noticed. The first week of October, thanks to Venus, is especially well-starred for showing off and attracting simpatico types (including potential lovers, should you be looking).
Mars in Libra from the 5th favours a more energetic pursuit of pleasure, sporting glory and completing a project rather than cooking it up in your head. Mars is here for six weeks, so put the pedal to the floor (with a caveat below). The 17th and 18th, when the Moon is in your skies, grant you a further edge.
Ruler Mercury is also working sweetly enough for you as October unfolds. Be aware, however, that the messenger planet is heading for a retrograde session from the end of the month, after which revision rather than instigation is in favour. Some streamlining of your routines and infrastructure meantime makes sense. The season of Scorpio, from the 24th, carries the same message. Whether you can turn a busy month into financial gain remains a moot point. Saturn, active in your zone of resources, is a skinflint planet, disinclined to hand out rewards for anything other than hard-nosed effort, and reducing overheads rather than earning more could be the path to follow. Your partner, represented by easy-going Jupiter, looks in free-spending mood (or is perhaps a high maintenance date); maintain an appropriate balance.
Cancer
Customary descriptions of the Crab as the sign of the homebody can get tedious; most people love their home! Still, with Mars lodged at the root of your ‘scope for six weeks from October 4, and with a recent new Moon in the same spot, matters of family and hearth may figure large and perhaps disruptively. No need for drastic action; better to isolate any problems and deal with them in a measured, even low-key way.
You have plenty else on your plate – Venus in Scorpio, for example, a peachy transit in play after the 9th, one to ginger up your social and romantic life and get you out the house in pursuit of culture and play. Mercury is also in watery Scorpio to much the same ends, though if you are signing contracts or agreeing deals on an informal basis, be aware that Mercury’s backslide in November may change terms and conditions.
The season of Scorpio, and the new Moon of the 28th, are nonetheless a positive thing for Cancerians. Mercury retrograde or not, invest your energies in projects that are close to your heart, rather than in the duties you must perform for the cruel and heartless regime you endure to earn a crust (yes, it’s just a job but you get the drift). Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s…but nothing more.
Saturn and Pluto are now trundling forwards in opposition and checking that any difficulties from February and March have been remedied. This is a potentially unscrupulous combination, and some of you – say mid-July birthdays – may feel that you are in a relationship where you are held hostage – A ‘Prisoner of Love’ as James Brown once sang. If so, bear in mind that the manacles slip off easily once you decide you have had enough of being let down. The full Moon (your ruler) on October 13 is a good time for escape and/or to make a breakthrough in your profession.
Leo
The fiery Lion is a ‘fixed’ sign, meaning steady and dependable, but sometimes unwilling to bend with the flow of events. While your personal planet, the Sun, is in airy Libra, however, you have options to explore, places to go (oh yes you do) and new faces to encounter. At the end of the month, when Scorpio – another fixed sign – takes over, a refusal to budge may come in handy. Meanwhile a breezy, open-hearted attitude promises to introduce you to simpatico souls and, if you are into buying/selling, to trade and haggle.
Staying on the front foot there is Jupiter, still in fiery Sagittarius, still encouraging you to get out of Dodge City and/or make a happy spectacle of yourself. It’s an excellent month for self-advertisement. The full Moon of October 13 is in the third fire sign, Aries, forming a triangle with your Leo Sun and Jupiter; an optimum moment to put yourself out into the world. On the 15th Luna, still strong, hits the peak of your ‘scope and touches Prometheus, a cue for a shake-up in your professional world, especially if you are a July birthday.
Getting out of Dodge gets progressively more difficult as October proceeds, as planets at the root of your ‘scope pile up – there’s a new Moon here on the 28th – and pull you back to home and hearth. Messenger Mercury goes retrograde here at the close of the month, so anticipate a few snags in plans during November. Clear the decks.
Virgo
September looks like it was a whirlwind, and while October is no push-over for many signs, your sign looks calmly aligned by comparison. The new Moon in Libra (September 28) is about money and how you can increase your stock thereof…hard work rather than the hand of fate, unfortunately. Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn, a combination to make some signs shiver, continues to work on your behalf and grant you the ear of the boss, the establishment and even people you would rather not know (if so, dine with a long spoon).
Planets in Scorpio, including your personal ruler Mercury, are similarly helpful. Pay close attention to what’s said or promised and what you discover on your ceaseless round of errands. Mercury goes retrograde at the end of October, after which scooting around gets more tiresome and the deals/understandings you presumed were nailed down come back for revision. Keep in mind you are working, ultimately, for yourself, and not to dig other people out of self-inflicted jams.
Romance? Frisky and flirtatious works better than deep and meaningful, though you may not have those options. Saturn and Pluto in the zone of love affairs inclines to intensity and towards people who don’t necessarily have your best interests at heart. The almost-full Moon passing through your opposite sign of Pisces (and Neptune) on the 11th, and the full Moon in Aries (and your sexy eighth house) on the 13th could prove a tricky, perhaps climactic passage of play. Stay grounded.