All times Mountain.
Dear Ones,
Endless rain drizzles down the window as I finally pen this cosmic forecast. Trees and plants rejoice with the unexpected downfall and my lawn is a vivid lush green, a reprieve from our chronic drought. The strong presence of watery Neptune, as part of Barbault’s Basket, (read my full description in July’s cosmic weather) has blessed us for the moment. Tomorrow, my weather app says, the rain will stop and we’ll get back to biking and hiking and mowing and all the endless glories that dry weather brings. Yet, a turning point is occurring and that turn will take us into a cosmically full month.
October can be explained in one word: RELATIONSHIPS
You only see yourself one dimensionally. In the mirror; in a photograph, or video, there’s only a flat you and it’s only a visual. You may hear your voice on a recording and get another sense of yourself but that’s only through your particular lens. Who you are is elusive to you and only through your subjective perceptual self. Until now.
This month REFLECTS yourself back to you with lenses you perhaps do not recognize.
This is because the Sun is in Libra, the relationship sign; and also because Libra’s ruling planet, Venus, turns retrograde in the intensely emotional sign of Scorpio.
Libra is the part of your life that teaches you balance, decorum and beauty. It is one of the leadership areas of your life. When the transiting Sun shines its all-giving light in this place, your capacity to hold space for yourself and others, expands.
Venus in Scorpio takes us deeper into the mulch of connection. No dark, no spark, says an artful card on my fridge (thank you, Wendy). Scorpio is a fixed sign. It holds on. Waaaaay past the due date. Now, we add Venus, the Goddess of love, going backwards into the maw of the forbidden. It’s very Halloween. Fears, phobias, sexual tension, sexual secrets, money, power, status, ego struggles… the list goes on.
I prefer the other list related to Venus’s retrograde: focus on one’s inner world, awareness and kindness toward one’s shadows, return to one’s passion. Release of heavy emotions held in the body. After all, Venus makes her star pattern in the sky through her retrograde motion five times in eight years; changing places from evening to morning, from morning to evening star. How blessed we are to witness and feel such an ancient movement.
Here’s how the month rolls along:
October 1st, connects a lot of dots or perhaps, undoes them. Avoid aggressive speech but don’t be a doormat either. Stand calmly in your knowing. Do not back down. Perhaps you might be like a Tibetan Buddhist – placate the demons that arise, and, as Dolly advised, step around them. Mercury activates feisty Mars, and the Mercury ruled Gemini Moon lifts the energy with the Libra Sun. Air brings fresh ideas. All points of Barbault’s Basket are retrograde. Our transition is an inside job.
October 2nd, midafternoon the Moon enters watery Cancer stirring the pools within our hearts. We understand that global issues are personal to us. Our use of ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini etc.… is creating blocks of interconnected, loudly humming, water-needy, data centers. We are the data center. I am the traffic. This is like the age of plastic all over again. We create useful things that pollute us and destroy the beauty and balance of Earth life.
The Moon in Cancer over the next few days helps us personalize broader issues into grassroot action.
October 3rd, is D Day for Venus. Venus is Inanna, who returns to the underworld to rescue her ugly sister, Ereshkagil, who rules the underworld, like Pluto. In order to visit her sister, Inanna has to strip herself down, one layer at a time. What is your underworld, my friend? What are you stripping yourself of?
This reminds me of a long ago dream that stays with me still. I descend to a dark cave. A man is there, looming over a body on the ground. He holds a knife in his raised arm; I keep walking and descending, and there, safe in the bowels of the furthest cave, amid shadows and blood, a little child is born from a woman’s paining giving body.
Also on the 3rd, be aware of the power of action, of courage and group intelligence as Mars opposes Pluto.
October 4th, in the earliest hours, Venus, ever so slowly stops and turns backwards at 8˚ Scorpio. The dark journey begins. Meanwhile Mars and Pluto continue their face off. The brave little man against the privileged few. Also today, the Sun shines its full light on old man Chronos/Saturn. What is your duty? What is the truth of you, and can you commit to the exploration?
October 5th, the waning Leo Moon carries the heart energy of our collective conflict toward the healing power of the Sun. Don’t be dramatic; be creative instead.
October 6th, still more, even greater entitlement as the Leo Moon meets Jupiter/Zeus the Wise One. Jupiter has come to 20˚ Leo. This is an interesting celestial address. Take note of what’s happening both inside and outside yourself. Heart expanding wisdom is available.
October 7th, a great meeting occurs. Venus/Inanna talks with Mercury. Both will retrograde together and turn direct together on the very same day – Nov 13. Remember that it was Mercury/Enki who rescued Inanna. When Venus got to her sister’s place, Ereshkagil hung Venus/Innana on a hook and only little Enki, God of Wisdom and Imagination – Mercury, was able to rescue her. How can your mental state, your imagination, rescue you from the emotional pain you feel? How can you align the thoughts in your head with the wisdom of your heart?
Coincidently, the Moon enters Virgo, a Mercury and Chiron ruled sign, on the 7th too. Staying there in Virgo, through late on October 8th, the Moon invites us to organize our lives and to clean up our environments and homes.
October 9th, we prepare for tomorrow’s Libra New Moon. Come into harmony with your life.
October 10th, at 9:49 am, the New Moon occurs at 17˚ Libra. With Venus, Libra’s ruling planet not only in the sign of her detriment (Scorpio) but also in tough angles with Mars, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, it’s a time of profound adjustment and awareness. In order to come into peaceful balance and beauty, we must look at our behaviors and shadows. We must learn to see ourselves as others see us and then reconcile the outer vision with our internal one, and then… big drumroll, transcend these ideas of self and others. Rise above the duality to the one place where we shimmer with love and unity. That is the possibility of this time!
The 11th, 12th, and partway through the 13th, the newly hatched Moon travels through Scorpio connecting with Mercury and Venus and touching all those tough aspects. Avoid drama on the 13th when the Moon squares Jupiter but do take note of creative courage found everywhere you look for it.
Unexpected happenings on the 14th as the Moon, now in chatty Gemini, opposes change agent Uranus. Artificial intelligence is our creation.
October 15th, feel the energy move! Pluto turns direct as the warm Sagittarian Moon connects favorably with Mars and Jupiter.
October 16th, 17th, and 18th, the waxing Capricorn Moon helps us get pragmatic with our days. Do what must be done.
October 19th, connect with others. The Moon enters Aquarius and opposes Mars. The people have something to say!
October 20th, the Moon continues to speak with our shared voice as it opposes Jupiter and squares Mercury. Tap into your inner strength, friends.
October 21st, feels both tender and loving. The Sun opposes wounded healer Chiron and Venus meets with the Sun. All that is feminine rejoices now in its innate mystery and weeps for the wounds women carry. The waxing Moon is in gentle Pisces carrying our full feelings like a lost sailor in a little ship.
October 22nd, the watery intelligence of the next few days is profound. Sleep and heed your dreams.
October 23rd is an energy shift as the Sun leaves the decorum of Libra for the controlled passion and insights of Scorpio. Allow yourself to understand more than before.
October 24th is a big day cosmically. The energy deepens and perhaps becomes a little fuzzy, as Mercury turns retrograde just like Venus currently is. Also today, Venus meets with the Sun and both form tight angles with Chiron and the rest of the planets in Barbault’s Basket. What’s happening is part of a larger collective shift. Pay attention to the seeds under the ground by keeping them safe, watered, and left alone.
Venus begins her new cycle today. She is now invisible. She has hidden her radiance in the light of the Sun. We’ll get a glimpse of her as a morning “star” on November 2nd.
The Aries Moon meets Saturn today too. Sometimes we learn hard things about ourselves, and sometimes we make commitments to ourselves.
October 25th we may return to earlier wounds today. Venus reenters Libra and opposes Chiron who conjuncts the Moon. Ouch. This is a tender day but perhaps we can heal too.
At 10:09 pm on the 25th the Scorpio Sun opposes the fat 2˚ Taurus Full Moon. This Full Moon taps into Barbault’s Basket letting us know that we are One, living on One Earth, eating her food, breathing her air, burying ourselves in her body, digging her minerals out… we are the Earth. What actions can you take to protect, love, cherish, and renew our beautiful Earth home?
October 26th the still fat Taurus Moon carries us along in appreciation for all we have, while we may experience inertia in the face of the many difficulties we and all living beings face at this time.
October 27th is an intensification of the energies. Practice equanimity. Breathe! Think deep thoughts as you ask important questions – Moon oppose Mercury.
October 28th and the energy quickens as the Moon enters Gemini and meets Uranus. Stay grounded.
October 29th tough talk! Avoid aggression. Mercury and Mars connect in a tight square.
October 30th and October 31st and the end of the month is here as the waning Moon sails through watery Cancer. Things feel smooth and yet both Venus and Mercury are retrograde. The midterms loom large. Vote dear friends! And please buy my books. I read them for Audible (and other marketplaces like Spotify and Apple) too.
Remember, you matter. We are all connected. Earth is our home and love is our destination.
Blessings and love,
Your astrologer,
Dulce
I am immensely grateful for the beautifully written words and message you so graciously share . I appreciate your insights! Thanks Dulce!