Every stargazer worth his or her salt knew 2020 would be a troublesome year – thank Saturn/Pluto, about which your astrologer has written plentifully. You can find the 2020 forecast I wrote last December for the Walpole Journal, republished for the May forecasts. Read here>
There, I singled out October as the most troublesome period in a troubled year, this being when warrior Mars in Aries was in hostile aspect with Saturn/Pluto/Jupiter in Capricorn. A likely astrological signature for a war I surmised.
Now we are at that point and it’s clear that the war is not so much an armed conflict between nations (though Armenia-Azerbaijan looms ominously) but between autocracy and democracy. The first televised debate between President Trump and Democrat nominee Joe Biden, held as Saturn precisely squared Mars, was little less than a declaration of war by Trump, who will not accept any vote against him, and looks willing to escalate an adverse result into civil war. The imprint for as much is in the horoscope of the USA (b. 4/7/1776). The upcoming meeting of Saturn and Jupiter in Aquarius on December 21st – offers hope of a different outcome.
Major events
- October 1 – Full Moon in Aries
- October 2 – Venus into Virgo
- October 14 – Mercury retrograde in Scorpio
- October 16 – New Moon in Libra
- October 22 – Sun into Scorpio
- October 28 – Venus into Libra
- October 31 – Full moon in Taurus
Libra
You know the patter by now: ‘Libra, sign of peace, beauty and harmony’. In an ideal world, for sure, but just now bringing your Scales into equilibrium looks a tough call. True, it’s your birthday month when your will – the iron fist in a tasteful designer glove – should prevail. Yet this month’s stars are full of challenge. Mars in opposition rarely spells an easy street for Libra; at worst it finds you challenged and outgunned by contrary partners, prone to irritation (you can only put up with so much!), and subject to clumsiness and tortuous spells in the dentist’s chair. Hey ho. And with Mars in backslide for the next six weeks, desirable flings and ex’s are apt to pop up to tempt you into indiscretion.
Furthermore, the tiresome trio of planets in Capricorn is bearing down on you once again, as in Spring – that trial (think money, property, career, small ‘p’ politics) is almost over, but must now be endured and resolved, especially by October birthdays. Keep your options close to your chest (Mercury’s retrograde cycle insists, especially for late October birthdays), stay clear of ruthless types and stick to your keenly felt code of honour and justice.
Helping you do so is the Libran new Moon of the 16th, empowering and offering a long-distance perspective rather than a short time tussle for survival (well, Librans like to exaggerate). Your ruling planet, fair Venus, arrives in your skies on the 28th, like the cavalry come to lift the siege. Breathe out.
Scorpio
The full Moon of the 1st is an odd opening salvo to the month, perhaps summoning up a ghost from the past, but do move on swiftly and purposefully. Mercury is in your skies for a couple of months – though its retrograde puts it out of reach between October 28-10 November – and even when backsliding makes yours a voice that has authority.
Slow, adaptable and purposeful is the way to proceed in your assorted missions, thanks to both Mercury and ruler Mars in retrograde. There is emphasis on work, routine and duty rather than glory, but your support group of friends and fellow travellers is energised and helpful.
Scorpio’s birthday season begins on October 23, with some potentially dramatic action at the full Moon on the Halloween weekend of the 31st. This full Moon is bang next to planet Prometheus, promising to affirm recent shake-ups in Scorpio world, and to provide a nutty/alarming/vibrant couple of days. Go with the considerable flow…no-one outspooks a Scorpio!
Sagittarius
Here’s the month to get your affairs in order in readiness for the Centaur’s season in the Sun. Don’t expect too many quick fixes. Mars, currently the engine of your social and romantic life, is in retreat and probably in a bad mood. Peel away matters of the heart with care to get to underlying issues, accept that other people can be moody and obstructive, and if you’re on the prowl, expect the odd ‘ex’ to show up on your doorstep. With the Sun in sociable Libra, you shouldn’t be short of less intimate pals.
Saturn, meanwhile, sounds the drumbeat for material concerns, for getting finances in rigorously good shape, for being real about how much you have and how much a friendship or romance is costing you (just sayin’). With your undisputed ruler, Jupiter, also in action in the zone of self-worth, you should be able to conjure up a revenue stream from somewhere – sell off those unworn hiking boots and the like.
The pace of events slows as the month progresses, partly due to Mercury turning backwards, partly because the Sun in Scorpio is always a cue to think mind-body-spirit and beat a retreat to the spa. Your friendship circle, however, remains vibrant.
Capricorn
Maximum focus please. Saturn, Pluto and Jupiter- the three planets that have dominated your horoscope this year (and scared the pants off the rest of us) – are all now in forward march after their various retrogrades, and making provocative aspects to the mighty Sun and to Mars. ‘Provocative’ in the sense that ‘hard’ aspects (90 and 180 degrees apart) mark tipping points in long-running sagas, push you into action, or introduce a new factor into an equation. This is especially applicable to October.
Hence the big ambitions and issues of 2020 are now called into question for resolution and advancement, especially, though not exclusively, for mid-January birthdays. Saturn being the Mountain Goat’s ruling planet, you know how to handle its demanding energies, whether that involves having to knuckle down and get the job done with painstaking application or make brutal ‘get real’ decisions. As suggested last month, someone or some situation, may need to be jettisoned in order for you to continue (sometimes it’s a loss not of your making). The new Moon of October 16 looks a likely turning point.
Let’s not overlook Jupiter, a cheerier entity than Saturn and one that favours Capricorn’s alter-ego, the fish-tailed Sea Goat, droll and sensuous. A good moment to cash in your chips, flog off a bit of family silver and wangle a long-distance trip to take you away from it all (good luck with that one).
Planets in Libra always favour your public profile; sometimes it’s hard won (as this month) though you may be able to gain a few brownie points for free at the very end of October. Planets in Scorpio bring in your widest social circle (acquaintances as well as friends), where a retrograde Mercury makes for uncertain arrangements. Duck and dive accordingly. For you, Halloween’s full Moon looks what our Antipodean friends call ‘bonzer’; do something special.
Aquarius
Communications are high on October’s agenda: making your public position clear – with Mercury retrograde in the second half of the month, the message can get scrambled, while the full Moon on October’s first day is likely to overheat dialogues. Likewise, Mars backwards in Aries is no guarantor of understood instructions and arrangements. Don’t assume that anything is ‘obvious’ – spell things out.
Essentially though – and despite the welcome presence of the Sun in your kindred air sign of Libra – this is a time of transition, of countdown to December’s midwinter solstice when Saturn and Jupiter arrive in your skies – historic stuff!
Meanwhile the pair remain behind the scenes, albeit highly active this month and next. One might sum this up as ‘clear the decks’, though what you are clearing is not just material stuff – though this is a classic ‘declutter’ phase – but the psychic debris acquired over long years of ‘doing time on planet earth’ (as astrologer Adrian Ross Duncan memorably put it). Doubtless many Aquarians have spent the last couple of years doing exactly that, uncovering a few dark secrets along the way.
In the here and now – or, rather, the imminent, a couple of dates for action present themselves. The new Moon of the 16th is a sweet alignment, not least for birthdays circa February 12th, while the weekend of the 24th finds Luna vibrant in the Urn Bearer’s skies. Then there is the Halloween full Moon; a good weekend to grab some profile if you are interested.
Pisces
No sign is immune from the current planetary storms, but with a bit of Piscean canniness, you can duck out of the worst of them. The dominant feature of your October ‘scope is Venus the romancer in opposition, quite the cue for close encounters or milder flirtations, while the worst scenario is an attack of jealousy over your best friend’s new frock. The combination of Venus and Neptune, the latter still ever present in your skies, can describe a particularly dishy liaison, or being led up the garden path by someone.
At best the trio of planets in Capricorn suggest support from your team, your friends, allies and acquaintances. The reckoning implied by the current planetary configuration (Sun-Mars-Saturn) looks principally about money – how you earn it, how you share it – and may call for some hard-nosed decisions. You are, for sure, not alone.
The season of Scorpio is, as always, a tonic. Mercury – here for most of October – favours matters educational and legal, though postponing decision until November is no bad call given Mercury’s retrograde. The full Moon on Halloween is agreeably spooky – while on its way to fullness Luna passes through Pisces’ skies on the 26th/27th, fleeting but empowering.
Aries
You start October with a bang – hopefully not literally – with a full Moon in your sign – good moment for a celebration but also for events to get out of hand. As suggested in September’s forecast, you need to be steady rather than volatile while a retrograde Mars is in your skies. That is doubtless easier said than done, since many Rams – mid April birthdays in particular – are under pressure from Saturn and co.
The need to get a deal over the line may be acute, the desire to resolve personal or professional issues fervent, but rein in your horses. Details count, and you may not yet have full information. Things look simpler in November, once Mars and Mercury are out of retrograde (say the 14th).
The same may be true of relationship issues, though here the picture is more chequered. The opposition from Libra emphasises partnerships, and the fact you may not always get your way – there should an element of give and take in relationships (and you look quite fiercesome just now) with the new Moon of the 16th a good moment to recalibrate the balance of power. Venus arriving in Libra on the 28th brings a softer glow to your love life, and with the moon in the ram’s skies just prior to Halloween, you look quite the party animal…but give yourself lots of room!
Taurus
No matter your particular situation in the current lockdown, make room for your heart and spirit to flourish. October finds your totem planet, Venus, ideally placed in your fellow earth sign of Virgo; ideal for gardeners, romantics and creative types that is. The 5th and the weekend of the 10th are particularly well aligned.
More impersonal, or more weighty issues are highlighted by the ongoing triumvirate of planets in the third earth sign of Capricorn, which has held many members of the zodiac – not just you – in a seemingly intractable grip for much of 2020. With the trio finally trundling forwards, you may finally find a way to extricate yourself from a sticky situation.
As much is likely to be a slow process, what with Mercury in opposition, and retrograde from the 14th October to November 3, but Taureans are rarely short of patience. You bid goodbye to October with a full Moon in your sign on Halloween; a reminder, perhaps, that you are on a very different course from the one on which you embarked at the start of the year – April birthdays especially – and an excuse to haul out your Goth garments and go for some socially distanced witching.
Gemini
Though you will have to factor in some revisions to your plans – ruler Mercury is retrograde from the 14th for three weeks – October and November have an encouraging autumnal glow to them. The Sun in airy Libra, until the 23rd, followed by Venus from the 28th, both favour creativity, pleasure and as much socially distanced romance as you can conjure.
Any kind of lockdown is, of course, anathema to the zodiac’s most freewheeling sign, especially at the start of the month when a full Moon highlights your no doubt extensive social network. Old time contacts and friends look strong in the mix this month, including Halloween, when the ghosts of the past come breezing through your letterbox.
Even a troubled financial situation may begin to be unlocked now, with Saturn finally out of its five-month retreat, though the ringed planet will expect full and detailed accounts. You won’t, alas, be able to wing it. You may, however, be able to put a shine on your professional reputation without much effort; with Venus well positioned through October, a charm offensive is in order.
Cancer
They are coming at you from all sides in October…the planets that is, and events, people and problems are likely to follow suit. As much you likely know, especially the pressure coming from your career path, where the chance – or necessity – to make your mark is upon you, thanks to the pushy aspects of Mars and Saturn, with birthdays post 8 June most in the frame. As always with Saturn, only persistence and detailed application really cuts the mustard. One last heave through autumn lands you in calmer waters.
The challenges posed by the seasons of Libra and Scorpio are less harsh, and you will have your own feelings about Keats ‘season of mellow fruitfulness’. Suffice to say it could well be fruitful, but it doesn’t look that mellow. The full Moon of October 1st clangs the career bell, the new Moon of October 16 asks you to ensure your lovely home is fully hygge for wintertime.
Your social life offers comfort. Venus in Virgo until the last few days of October is accommodating (don’t overlook siblings) while Scorpio hosts Mercury until the 28th – get your arrangements sorted before the quicksilver planet turns retrograde. The Sun in Scorpio from the 22nd is, as ever, a bright omen for you with a touch of romance to it. Still, with Saturn, Jupiter and Pluto in opposition, you have your work cut out when handling significant others. There are limits to how much weight you can be asked to carry before you simply give up on a relationship. It’s a mixed bag, however with Jupiter here, help is never far away.
Leo
There is strength in numbers this month, and power in ideas. Your Sun ruler in sociable Libra favours both, and you can add in siblings and cousins to close friends as a source of support and bright ideas. The picture is chequered, however. Most Leos are not in the direct line of fire from the heavyweight trio of planets in Capricorn, but they demand application and adaptability nonetheless, with the need for work, duty and well-being all emphasised.
Normally the presence of Mars in your kindred fire sign of Aries would be the cue for celebration and planning a long haul holiday; with the red planet thick in the challenging picture, however, your vacation may have to stay virtual and your travels in the mind rather than across continents. International contacts nonetheless remain advantageous through to early 2021. Likewise, educational matters – the new Moon of October 16 may open unexpected doors.
Three weeks of Venus in your sign come to a close on October 2, hopefully leaving your romantic life on cruise control. The planet of attraction in Virgo for much of October is no bad thing, however; many Leos have planets here, while Venus will also doing her best to supply you with fresh funds.
Events become more insistent once your ruling Sun hits the nadir of your ‘scope on October 22. It’s a sticky time when your room to manoeuvre is compromised by Mercury’s backslide. No cause for alarm but plenty of need for patience until mid-November, when job and domestic affairs return to clarity. Meanwhile comes the full Moon at the peak of your horoscope on Halloween, a potentially exhilarating turn in the limelight.
Virgo
Favourite things and people come bundled with matters that drive you potty in October. The good news is that with Venus in your skies from October 2- 28, your personal popularity looks assured, and the romantics among you can indulge your taste for flirtation and hot dates, Covid permitting. The weekend of the 17th, when Venus passes Neptune, is especially charmed.
All of you can enjoy a charm offensive, however, helped by the alignment of Venus with the trio of heavyweight planets in Capricorn; a real Beauty and the Beast scenario (with you as Beauty, natch).
The Sun in Libra should present few problems to the dutiful Virgo, duty this month being focused on finances and possessions. No worries there, but the retrograde of your Mercury ruler complicates matters – said planet heads back into Libra from October 28-November 10, implying there are unsuspected issues to unravel. Patience, as always, is key to negotiating Merc Ret, along with preparation – get your arrangements in place before the 14th and don’t be surprised if things don’t work out as planned.
The month of Scorpio, from the 23rd onwards, otherwise works in your favour; time to refresh friendships, be in touch with siblings and nod to the neighbours. The full Moon on Halloween is in your fellow earth sign of Taurus; amidst the touch of lunacy that it brings an unexpected and helpful development may be in the mix.