October 2010

PLANET REPORT: With vixen Venus now deeply immersed in smouldering Scorpio and about to turn to a rare retrograde motion on the 8th (this only happens every 18th months), the hidden, intriguing and more than spicy aspects of our lives, loves and longings are also about to take a turn. Delightfully sensuous, but also a bit too intense for some people, all sorts of unbidden thoughts, situations and desires can burst forth this month! It might be better to control this exotic energy by adding an air of anticipation to existing relationships and pre-arranging special trysts, tete-a-tetes and tantalisers to spice up the private hours. We often forget the need to be sensual during these busy times so we have 13 weeks to flame the inner embers! Travelling alongside Venus is masculine Mars (strong, virile and healthy in his own sign Scorpio), lending us contained energy to power-charge relationships so that they can withstand the rise and fall, rocking and rolling of emotion that will undulate through October and November. With the apparent change in orbit on the 8th (and a New Moon in Libra on the same day), Venus will act like a release valve opening the floodgates that allow taboo emotions to swamp our thoughts. Unacknowledged feelings and desires can warp into a Pandora’s Box of unhealthy resentment so sharing insights and working together to consciously create chemistry and excitement is a good starting point – either that, or come to the conclusion that this is what is missing! Because Scorpio is a Fixed sign, there’s also a tendency to want permanence and stability despite the undercurrents that make life interesting, so if commitment is sought after - but not attained - then all sorts of issues will spring up around this central dilemma. For some, this can be a make or break period in relationships. Since we have until January for this energy to play itself out, we may need to bend the rules and try to be more flexible and less stubborn or indignant and just see where the flow leads us rather than make hard or fast decisions – there are so many variables to emerge. Outside of close relationships, long-standing feuds can become highly flammable too since Scorpio is a sign that stores and files grievances for good-keeping! As long as Venus has Mars there to guide her she will be fine but once her escort leaves her side (28th), she will be left to deal with the murkier aspects that she would rather not have to deal with. Early in the month, we can sow seeds that will take root so that the meaningful interactions can withstand the scrutiny that may come about between now and November 19th, when Venus turns direct. Also ruling money and the material world this will be a month of uncertainty and changing values that won’t settle down until the second half of November. If at all possible, aim to wrap up work in progress before October 8th otherwise avoid beginning projects between the October 8th and November 17th but instead work through all the nuances, variables and details so that you are in a strong position to begin later in the month. Mercury joins Venus in Scorpio on the 21st ahead of the Sun on the 24th paving the way to truly identify and talk about the issues that have been thrown up. The New Moon on the 8th and in Venus’ sign, Libra, kick-starts our awareness of our interactions. By the Full Moon of the 23rd (02:38pm), we will have reached some decision to hatch, match or despatch projects, plans or relationships. From then until November 17th, we can work through the change.

ARIES: Forget your lust for rich man’s gold, all that you need is in your soul - wise lyrics to describe Venus sashaying through your zone of other people’s money until January 7th. Since late September your relationship to debt, credit, taxes, a mortgage, claim, settlement, payout or inheritance has been intensified but on November 18th the pressure, delays, glitches or power plays ease off. And while this might not be soul-destroying stuff or as intense as the War of the Roses (the battles or the movie), the roller-coaster of emotion, driven by your own or other people’s money, their attitude towards your security, and your shared resources and possessions in common, will be enough to make you want to discard all worldly possessions. Venus in Scorpio is all about the passion and desire you have invested with other people - it’s how you use this passion that will make all the difference. In October, it will seem complicated - and you’re right, it is - so try to leave off making major decisions until November when feelings clear long enough to talk about and think through the more taboo aspects of these issues. By December one or all of these matters will be done and dusted so that by January you will be filled with a sense of moving on. And while not every Ram will have material possessions to divide, share or halve, happy Rams can use the powerhouse of passion to generate your own luck. This is a brilliant time to invest in research, learn from someone who has already grasped these principles or simply invest your feelings and physical energy in the areas that you really want to work to your advantage. Your annual Full Moon on the 23rd brings around issues that have been circling for six months.

TAURUS: Stop! In the name of love because even though your ruler, love-child Venus, slows to a stand-still and turns around on October 8th and you find yourself rehashing the emotional complexities of the previous month or so, by November 18th you’ll begin to emerge from the sea of love with more insight than you had before. As she rolls her hips and sashays through sexy, passionate Scorpio – your opposite sign - the overall mood until January 7th will resemble that of an irate Latin lover. Pleading and cajoling one minute, demanding and sulky the next, if there is a time when passions run red hot (for good or bad), it is now. And it can be anyone – fiancé, friend or foe – and it can be about anything – money, manners or marriage - there will be no stone left unturned. By November 8th a little balance will be restored and from December, you can drag out the repair kit. The issues in October are the hot-spot though, when the real dilemmas or differences began to emerge. Issues require that you delve more deeply than you have for sometime into relationships, motivations and intentions. The green-eyed monster may need taming too but once you are presented with evidence or can establish a sense of trust, there are many reasons to keep working at what you have already established.

GEMINI: Over the next three months you may feel as if you are auditioning for a James Bond movie with all the secret intrigues and unspoken vibes spicing up your working hours and transforming routine tasks into sensual, danger-filled events. By the water cooler, in the boardroom, on the shop floor, during rehearsals, directing trades-people or standing in line, you’ll never know what is going to happen each day as you tumble out of bed. Your everyday relationships will take on a life of their own and whatever type of chemistry there is between you, every sentence may be loaded with meaning. Lust, love, obsession, revenge or simply a shared passion, everything will be magnified 100% and whether it’s the chemistry between you or because you have been thrown together to make the best of a situation you find yourselves in, it’s the intensity that drives the engine. That’s the positive side! The negative is getting tangled up in webs that will be hard to extricate yourself from and a wise Twin will choose his partners, tasks and projects with care. Better to get worked up about projects, people and dilemmas that require focused input than focus on projects, people or dilemmas that get you worked up! Mars enters your opposite sign Sagittarius on the 28th and this is sure to ignite the intellectual side of your relationship even further. Looks at the big picture then!

CANCER: There may be 50 ways to leave your lover but there are only a handful of ways to keep them and over the next three months, you will be sailing in a leaky love boat that will reach shore by mid-January. In November, the New Moon of the 8th drives home the issues around lust and love that reared up during October but by the 18th you’ll find yourself whistling Jealous Guy and – depending on who is doing the leaving and keeping - trying to make amends or elicit an apology. Your feelings run deep dear Crab but you tend to get overwhelmed by your insecurities and your dreams of the past so if something comes along that challenges your sense of intimacy, you react with a passion that is equally overwhelming. You’ve got until January 6th to patch or despatch the relationship, so keep in mind that any decisions made during October and up until November 18th will probably be reversed as there are so many variables to work through. Like a Hollywood handprint, avoid sealing your fate until you have passed the cooling down stage – you may just find that your relationship is better for the heavy dose of passion. Children also come under the same banner, so if relationships are not where you energy is focused, then a son, daughter, niece, nephew or some other young person could be a source of dogged consternation. Appealing to the emotions may work but time is the greatest healer as its tender hands even out feelings and make experiences less intense. Their secretiveness may be masking deeper insecurities. Sports, hobbies and creative pursuits may also be drenched in the intriguing energy that October holds.

LEO: Blood is thicker than water and as October opens, you can be forgiven for thinking that it is so thick it is turning to sludge. And you might never listen to We Are Family in quite the same way once you have worked through the wicked web that will be woven in October by the complicated family intricacies that are surfacing. It will take a while but when Venus backs up into Libra on November 7th, something or someone eases its charming way between you helping you to restore some sanity. From the barbeque to the baptism, the wedding to the weekend gathering, the christening to Christmas arrangements, there’s something about the family members interact with each other that brings hidden passions, agendas, memories and desires to the surface. Because it will take until January 7th to bring an end to these matters once and for all, be patient, determined and flexible to make the whole scenario easier on your system. By the 28th, Mars will have moved into far-sighted Sagittarius and into your zone of fun – a welcome relief from the dramatics on the home front. An intellectual pursuit, places and people at a distance are all highlighted by the New and Full Moon cycle this month. What happens then will also help to balance out your perspective.

VIRGO: Dallas, Dynasty or Desperate Housewives, the goings-on in your neighbourhood could provide fertile material for a new soap opera. And that might not be a bad idea with all the activity that is going on in your house of writing, communicating and thinking. Even your Facebook wall, inbox or cell phone can develop lusty threads of exchange. Also the zone of your brothers and sisters (if you have them) and other relatives, means that sibling or family rivalry could provide even more fodder for a script that contains all the right ingredients for a sinister who-dunnit or fact-finding mission. Sit back and let them play it all out, let the gossip swipe back and forth – by November 18th, the truth will emerge and you can sit back and quite cheerfully say “I told you so..” Out of sight, but not out of mind, if you are a writer, even without the neighbourly or technological intrigues, your thought processes are operating on extremely complicated levels between October and January. Measuring and weighing up facts and figures by the fathom-full, you understand that it’s how words, data and details are strung together to make a comprehensive, understandable whole that counts. Leave nothing to chance and make notes of dates, times and conversations, jot down random thoughts and keep a diary to refer to – somehow the log keep you may prove important at some point in future.

LIBRA: If you need a break in the weather, this is the month when the cosmos will provide it! A trickle can turn into a downpour during October since your ruler, sexy Venus, will be too-ing and fro-ing in alluring Scorpio for the next 13 weeks. This is bound to spice up your life in more ways than you can count on one hand. There are issues – big and small – that centre around money, security and what you value in life and your passion is so great to earn and save more that you will strive to overcome the things that keep you from pursuing goals. At the same time, this can get complicated and requires fancy footwork! It can be anything from getting the wolves off your back to paying off a mortgage or credit card so that you can start from scratch in 2011. Since this cosmic dynamic affects all of us, then it’s safe to say that we all feel passionate about something this month Libra - it’s just that for you, the winning wheel stopped on your fiscal sphere and that’s where you should focus so that by January you are free to pursue new relationships that lead to marriage, business or friendship deals, arrangements and pacts that herald a brand new cycle in this area. October opens with Saturn putting the hard word on you but by your annual New Moon on the 8th, you will adjust to the idea that something is changing. The Full Moon of the 23rd brings you full circle to finalise, complete or surrender plans, setups and lifestyle decisions that began six months ago.

SCORPIO: Your image this month is that of a smouldering sex symbol! With both Venus and Mars in your sign nearly all month, your sex appeal simply oozes out of you and if you are looking to mix your chemistry with someone else’s, then chances are this is the month to put yourself out there! Attached or single, this is also the month to spice up your life and, whether you are working or playing, introduce something a little more exotic and sensual into your activities - this will stop the intense energy from turning into dissatisfaction which can turn into a storm of feelings if there is no release. With the Herculean sense of energy that you possess now, you can also get things shaking and moving; however, it would be best to avoid making decisions that can be put off until mid-November where possible. Instead spend your time researching and delving into as many files, folders and fact-finding missions as you can. If you can’t, then locate the weak spots that could prove troublesome later and have some kind of protection plan in place. Health-wise, you should have plenty of slow-burning energy to keep you going in projects that require intense input but do remember to keep hydrated with the right kind of fluids. If you like to socialise, then you are more likely to accidentally overindulge with your current ability to withstand the long hours that some functions could require.

SAGITTARIUS: What you do in secret, behind closed doors or in the privacy of your own fantasies, would be fascinating to others if only they knew! Sigmund Freud would have a field day! With smitten Mars chasing and then overcoming saucy, provocative Venus in Scorpio in your house of secrets, there are bound to be one or two intrigues and amorous Mills and Boon-type adventures happening behind the scenes. There is also an element of danger so you need to be very sure that what you do does not jeopardise your value systems, relationships or reputation. Once Mars moves into your sign on the 28th, a lot can come to light and if the truth is going to hurt, then it’s best to tread water very carefully! Because Venus is treading a rare but somewhat aimless path until January, we can take the wrong turn if we are not vigilant and conscious of how things can turn out. This applies on all sorts levels so whether you’re in the boardroom, the bedroom or behind the scenes, be scrupulous in your dealings with magnetic situations or people. Friends, associates, fellow members and comrades appear older and wiser and from the New Moon, you might realise that their advice holds the key to balance. By the 23rd, there could be a clash of wills with a lover, child or creative colleague that brings a fiery conclusion to a situation that began six months ago.

CAPRICORN: After Scorpio, Capricorn is the next sexiest sign in the zodiac so once Mars cuddles up to Venus in Scorpio in your zone of companions, comrades and cohorts, you may just find that what is currently an easy-going, cruisy friendship suddenly develops into something so much deeper. How far you want to take this depends on your personal situation and whether you feel this will jeopardise what you already have but it’s the intensity of chemistry that stirs something deep within you. One of you will take the high road by the 28th leaving the other to follow their own path so this will be when the passion dies down slowly but surely. The New Moon (8th) and the Full Moon (23rd) splice across your chart in the areas of home, family and life direction and as October opens, the emphasis is definitely on your career, trade, profession, reputation and public image, or, more privately, one of your parents. Saturn seems to be making sure that you are on the right track by placing tests in your way that come in the form of bosses or some other authority figure, or by underlining your obligations to a parent.

AQUARIUS: Just when you were getting into the swim of things where your trade or career is concerned, along comes Miss Venus Retrograde to throw a spanner in the works from the 8th! From office politics to the outer world where you might find yourself on display, there are intriguing dilemmas to stir up the passionate side of your normally cool nature. Your boss or some other person above you in the pecking order may seem to have an ulterior motive that gets your suspicions working overtime, but try to remain on guard and in control until things become clearer. This situation will play itself out over the next 18 weeks and the last thing you want is to make assumptions that you find have no basis in fact. Life is definitely putting you through a learning curve this month and until you come out the other side of this tangled web, you won’t be able to see the wood for the trees. The New Moon of the 8th is on your side though and brings just the right people or news from afar that puts things into a balanced perspective. The Full Moon on the 23rd may also brings news but this time closer to home that concludes a communication project, sibling or neighbourly issue or brings a learning experience to a conclusion.

PISCES: Just looking at travel photos is enough to send you into a fit of yearning and deep desire to get away from it all, and perhaps something inspires you to think about booking a romantic holiday to some place across water or that is surrounded by water. On the other hand, you may find yourself connecting with someone you met on a previous holiday and that the passions are re-ignited all over again, only more intensely this time. For Pisces who have booked their tickets, please be sure to check that all arrangements are as they should be because with Venus travelling an aimless path in your house of relocation, you could find that something has been lost in translation. You may even find yourself in a place full of mystery and intrigue where it is hard to trust anyone! Grounded Pisces might relish sinking their teeth into a philosophical or publishing project and that this involves a significant other where you give each other mutual support. This phase will last until January but the hotspots occur between October 8th and November 17th. The New Moon on the 8th and the Full Moon on the 23rd both point to urgent financial issues that need to be resolved this month. By month’s end, you will be aiming at the stars and expanding on new career possibilities.