October 2011

October 2011 PLANET REPORT: Even though Mars is spluttering back into action in Leo after wading out of marshy Cancer on September 19th, the skirmish that comes with radical, non-conforming Uranus this week, will have Venus, Mercury and the Sun tip-toeing around practical, cautious Saturn by the Full Moon on the 12th. The mood in October will be fairly serious because Saturn tends to clip the wings on any emotion or activity that ignores the rules, if there are too many risks involved, or that have been neglected for too long. After the explosive, unexpected close to September, we should expect this month to be a reality check time. With the unusual events and hidden potholes, defensive driving is the way to navigate October. Until the 9th, Venus is strong in her own sign, Libra. Highlighting all relationships (business, love, professional), it’s all about the power of two, and of working in tandem with others - it becomes a team effort. The hotspot is the Full Moon in Aries on the 12th, which will test and push the emotional limits in relationships even further. This is a fork-in-the-road month that leads to a cosmic full stop to activities that are no longer productive, satisfying or worthwhile on the 12th. As we head toward this Full Moon, and with so many planets in Libra, we will be very aware of the need to cement the shifting goal posts in relationships so that boundaries are clear-cut. Once Venus and Mercury slip into intense Scorpio on the 9th and 13th respectively, and with Mars in a Fixed sign, the atmosphere will gradually become less flexible as the month wears on. Old habits die hard, and if we want to avoid deadlocks with people in business or in love, then discussions, agreements, pacts and arrangements should be approached with an open mind and mountains of tact and diplomacy while remaining aware of our own viewpoint. Globally, this will be a big month on the financial markets due to lunar activity connecting with Saturn and Jupiter - the economic indicators of the cosmos. It all started at the end of September, builds to a climax at the Full Moon of the 12th and by the New Moon in Scorpio on the 27th at 08:57am we will be off on a new cycle of activity. The message at New Moon is to scale back and avoid over-stepping the mark. Use resources that been proven over time. The Sun shifts into Scorpio on the 24th at 07:31am. ARIES: The cosmic tension builds across Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn this month. With the volatile energy that Uranus tends to bring into the mix, this is a time to be conscious and cautious just when you want to do things on a grand scale. Whether events explode, backfire or simply stress you out, try and take things slowly before jumping to conclusions. Your annual Full Moon on the 12th will bring an ending that might not match your hopes. Pluto at the highest point in your chart can also bring momentous shifts in your public profile that will be far-reaching but you need to scale back expectations or actions so that by the New Moon, you can take advantage of the opportunity to use other people’s resources and connections. TAURUS: Jupiter in your sign is squared by Mars as October begins so life will be extreme and certainly over the top. Eyebrow raising or temper flaring situations will test your patience and new-found resolve. It’s important to remain calm and let the storm take you without adding more fuel to the fire. October is a stressful month where people, events and situations flow quickly through our lives but things dampen down by month’s end when the energy becomes more subtle and less obvious. If you are aware of the currents, you can navigate the slipstream. Life is always about challenges that test who you are as a person and where you are at in terms of intellectual, emotional or spiritual learning. Jupiter is the greatest teacher but Saturn brings the physical hurdles. GEMINI: You can hide away while others are throwing their hands up in despair. It’s chaos until at least mid-month but the good news is that your sign is out of the firing line (bar having any personal planets in Aries, Cancer, Libra or Capricorn). Take note of what is going on in your private space though – in your mind, your soul, your work or bedroom – because there is inner change occurring that will manifest in certain conversations, or be triggered by an email, text or Facebook entry. From this there could come an avalanche of issues, thoughts or exchanges. A neighbour or sibling could be involved, or try to involve you, in projects, plans or peeves that you are better staying in the background of. Around the Full Moon of the 12th a radical friend or cause reaches the end of a particular road. CANCER: There’s quite a crowd of planets in your home zone as October begins. And whether they are around the dinner table, at a family gathering, visiting or living with you, there are new boundaries and realities to be set in concrete. For some this may involve parents, the family home, or shared living arrangements. The Full Moon of the 12th will splice across your public versus personal, career versus family zones so that decisions made in one area will affect the other. Needless to say, it’s a month of being cautious and considerate unless you have no qualms about who you are and what you stand for. Uranus, the revolutionary, threw a spanner in the works at the end of September by bringing an unexpected development that you will have to sort through in October. Avoid any situations that involve friends and money, business and pleasure as the month begins. LEO: With Mars charging through your sign and through October this is the month to put yourself out there and work hard to build a name or brand. The public is likely to take notice of what you do now, however insignificant you may think something seems at first. If you are involved with publishing or teaching, this is an interesting month because there are many different angles to an idea or concept and other people will want to have input. Balance is the key to the radical thoughts or situations that manifested at the end of September. Around the Full Moon, an educational or travel-related issue reaches a point where a decision has to be made once and for all. Be thorough and practical about this process. Act only when your research backs up your ideas. VIRGO: There are decisions to make regarding a question over your earnings, investments and cash-flow situation. Strict Saturn has been in this zone since late 2009 which means there are structures being forged that will shape a whole new chapter in this area. In October, with the annual visitation of the Sun, Mercury and Venus in this area, and a Full Moon on the 12th, it seems a new stage is being reached in whatever began back then. This is stock-take month where you crunch the numbers and decide what you value most – job satisfaction with a long term view or immediate cash-flow. Play it slowly and carefully rather than changing tack mid-course. Store what you learn this month in the back of your mind for future reference. LIBRA: Happy birthday Libran folks! Your year ahead is going to be filled with all kinds of experiences that will be like a roller-coaster of sights, sounds, people and events that will open the door to mighty changes on the home-front and radical shifts in relationships that will lead to a fresh outlook and greater self-expression. Yes, life is serious with Saturn still in your sign for another year, but it’s nothing that you won’t already have had to tackle so far. As long as you take the practical, structured route and live within your means, the new, mature you that is being shaped underneath will emerge by this time next year. The Full Moon on the 12th is directly opposite your sign and will bring a relationship question to a conclusion resulting in new rules being written. Not the easiest of months but what happens now leads to another chapter. SCORPIO: Mars soars at the top of your chart throughout October putting you in the limelight where the attention of your peers, bosses, parents or simply the people who are in your professional or public orbit will take more notice of your activities, achievements or presence. This is the last month of your birthday year and what better time to clean out the dusty corners as you get ready to start again. October is complicated by many things as the cosmic energy reaches a critical stage for the larger social changes. This means an event-filled month where unusual developments occur. There could be a private gathering of people, or perhaps you are working behind the scenes on projects that will soon be revealed. Try to get professional activities sorted because there will be an extended focus on friends and social circles in the coming months when your ruler spends 8 months in Virgo. SAGITTARIUS: Friends and friendships are in the spotlight during the first half of October. A reshuffle or rethink may be on the cards as you either share in a common experience, or the roads that you are both on go in opposite directions. It’s all about being practical and realistic, and it’s also about truth and honesty. Making travel plans, or sketching out an educational itinerary will give you hope for the future. Keep in mind that between November 2011 and July 2012 Mars will be spending an extremely long time in your career, life direction, public and parental zone and that over October, you would be wise to plan ahead for the delays or apparent setbacks that will see you gain new technical skills for either your job or when handling delicate situations. CAPRICORN: Like Aries, Cancer and Libra, your sign contains a lot of cosmic energy that was activated at the end of September. Experiences now are intense because the planets are passing through the very core of your chart that signifies who you are in relation to your family, your relationships and your life direction. Summon up that practical, realistic streak that you possess and start carving out a new set of rules and erecting new foundations. Be honest and resolute and you will find new avenues will start to appear as you discover your own resources as well as revel in a different kind of freedom. October is the month to focus on your life-direction, a parent or professional issue or project. You might squirm in the spotlight but situations now will somehow place you at the forefront of your public life. The Full Moon in Aries on the 12th is significant for closures and bringing a chapter of your domestic or family life to a close. AQUARIUS: October will be a big learning curve in balancing up your belief systems against your earlier conditioning or for what you have always held true in your life. Saturn, your ruler, is currently passing through this area and will be there for at least another year. He is always about bringing new realities into one’s consciousness and because he is in your area of higher learning and the inner planets are highlighting this in October, you will get a crash course of how these beliefs, or experiences with the wider world, are shaping up. On another note, relationships are very animated this month and if there are burning issues that require action, discussion or consideration October is the month when this is likely to take place. This is also a month to get financials into order. Mars will soon be spending an extended stay in this area and highlights a drawn-out situation. PISCES: The first half of October is all about finances and getting your books, accounts and debts into order. Saturn has been in your shared resources zone for some time now and there is still another year to go. In October, the Sun, Mercury and Venus will also be in this area and with the New Moon at the end of September signalling a fresh chapter, it’s time to restructure and wipe the slate clean for the next six months. In November, Mars will enter your relationships zone for an unusually long time – until July 2012 – and this means there will be issues, situations and agreements that will require time, energy and expertise to develop. If the rest of your life is in order, you will be able to give relationships all your attention. Getting down to the nitty-gritty with others will be important during the coming months so if there are big issues, you will fare better if you prepare yourself now.